Berlin’s ancient ‘Dicke Marie’ oak feels effects of prolonged dry spell

The tree, believed to be city's oldest, had already been damaged by the region's increasingly arid climate

An ancient English oak believed to be Berlin's oldest tree is suffering the effects of a prolonged dry spell in the German capital, local authorities have said, compounding already significant damage to its once lush canopy and branches.

Dicke Marie" (Fat Marie), as Berliners affectionately call the tree located in the northern Tegel Forest, has been deprived of essential moisture in recent years as a result of extended periods of sparse rainfall blamed on the climate crisis, according to natural resource officials.