Farewell to an Elm
On 30 May 2026, a severe storm brought down the oldest elm in Leuven’s Botanical Garden. With the loss of this monumental tree, Leuven lost a piece of its living heritage. In response, alderwoman Bieke Verlinden raised the question on social media of how we might acknowledge and respond to such an ecological loss. Following an outpouring of reactions, dozens of people gathered in the Botanical Garden on 3 June to create a tree shroud together and bid the elm a worthy farewell.
Once a familiar and beloved tree throughout our region, the elm has been under severe threat since the 1970s. Due to Dutch elm disease, most elms die young and are rarely planted today. Despite its great age, the Botanical Garden elm remained in good health. This makes its loss all the more poignant.
The tree shroud will soon be on display in the Orangery of the Botanical Garden, accompanied by a sculpture incorporating an elm branch (by Tine Hens) and a register in which visitors can leave a message for the elm.

With: De Groene Brigade – https://groenebrigade.be

Photographs: Bert Daenen – https://www.hetportret.be