Berlin's Besselpark loses 25 horse chestnuts to deadly bacterial outbreak

Berlin’s Besselpark is losing 25 horse chestnut trees due to a bacterial infection. The move comes as cities across Germany struggle to maintain urban greenery. Experts warn of growing threats to trees in built-up areas. The trees in Besselpark are infected with Pseudomonas syringae pv. aesculi. This bacterium has affected 70 percent of the park’s horse chestnuts. No replacements will be planted before 2028 because of staff shortages and tight budgets.

Urban trees in Germany already face pressure from limited space, extreme weather, and pollution from vehicles. Over the past seven years, cities have lost 900,000 trees. At present, only seven German cities have at least 30 percent of their area shaded by trees.

The EU aims to plant three billion trees by 2030, with Germany pledged to add 16 million. Julia Schneider, a Green Party MP, has criticised the country’s low contribution to this target. Barbara Metz of DUH has warned that without action, cities risk turning into concrete deserts. Ulf Stein, a professor at Eberswalde University, highlights the key role trees play in improving urban climates. Besselpark will remain without new trees for years. The loss adds to wider concerns about urban greenery in Germany. With current planting rates, cities may fall short of environmental and climate goals.