Riesenlinde zu Heede, Natural monument in Heede, Germany

Riesenlinde zu Heede is a lime tree in Heede that stands out for its exceptional size and age. Its massive trunk and expansive crown make it one of the largest trees in the region.

In 2016 the German Dendrological Society nominated the lime as Germany's entry for European Tree of the Year, where it placed 11th. In October 2019 the society named it Germany's first Nationalerbe-Baum (national heritage tree). Estimates of its age range from over 600 to 800 years, with some sources giving 500 to 1000.

The tree has stood at the centre of village life for centuries and is depicted on Heede's municipal coat of arms. Its local names, Dicke Linde and Tausendjährige Linde, refer to its thick trunk and the legend of its great age.

The tree is easily accessible via several cycling routes, including the Ems cycle path and the Lakes Tour, which provide good ways to reach the site. Plan to explore it on foot once you arrive, giving yourself time to take in its impressive scale.

This specimen belongs to the species Tilia platyphyllos and is considered the largest of its kind in all of Europe. Such exceptional sizes are extraordinarily rare among this species.