Hungry Tree facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hungry Tree |
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The Hungry Tree and bench
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| Species | London plane (Platanus × acerifolia) |
| Location | King's Inns, Dublin |
| Coordinates | 53°21′08″N 6°16′23″W / 53.3521°N 6.2731°W |
| Date seeded | circa 1900–1940 |
The Hungry Tree is a very special tree in Dublin, Republic of Ireland. It's found in the beautiful grounds of the King's Inns. What makes this tree famous is that it has slowly grown around and "eaten" a nearby park bench! It's a type of tree called a London plane. People love to visit and take pictures of this unique tree. It has become a popular tourist attraction.
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Meet the Hungry Tree
This amazing tree is located just inside the south gate of the King's Inns grounds. You can find it on Constitution Hill in Dublin. It is a London Plane tree. This type of tree was often planted in Dublin during the 1800s.
Experts believe the Hungry Tree is between 80 and 120 years old. It stands about 21 meters (69 feet) tall. Its trunk measures about 3.47 meters (11 feet 5 inches) around. Even though it's famous, some describe it as an ordinary-looking tree.
How it Got its Name
The tree was planted very close to an old cast iron bench. This bench was made in the early 1800s. Over many years, the tree's trunk grew bigger and bigger. It slowly started to wrap around the bench. Now, parts of the bench are completely swallowed by the tree!
Because it looks like the tree is "eating" the bench, people started calling it the "Hungry Tree." The grounds of King's Inns are open every day. Many tourists come to see and photograph this unusual sight. The tree has even been featured in guidebooks and art books about Dublin.
Protecting the Hungry Tree
The Hungry Tree is considered one of Ireland's "Heritage Trees." The Tree Council of Ireland gave it this special title. It's listed as a heritage tree because it's a curious and popular tourist spot. It's not listed for being super old or rare.
A Campaign to Keep it Safe
In 2017, a politician named Ciarán Cuffe wanted to protect the tree. He is a councillor for the Green Party. He asked the Dublin Central Area Committee to give the tree a special protection order. This is called a tree preservation order (TPO).
Mr. Cuffe said that the Hungry Tree and other nearby trees are a wonderful part of Dublin's history. He called it a "hidden gem" and said he would be sad to lose it. He felt these old trees have seen a lot of history.
Why Protection Was Tricky
The request for a tree preservation order was not approved. This was because the tree is very close to other buildings. These buildings already have special protections. So, the tree was thought to be protected by those existing rules.
They also thought about protecting the bench itself. But they decided not to. If the bench was protected, the city might have had to cut down the tree to save the bench. This would have destroyed the unique "Hungry Tree" that everyone loves.
See also
In Spanish: Árbol hambriento para niños
