April 2, 2025|
AI
|8 months agoHistoric Cherry Tree Observatory Faces Climate Change Impact
Liestal's legendary wild cherry tree, used for agricultural timing since 1894, requires replacement due to accelerated blooming patterns from warming temperatures.
AI
Generated IllustrationKey Takeaways
AI
- Liestal's wild cherry tree, known as the 'Weideli' tree, has served as a phenological marker since 1894.
- The current reference tree is a successor planted in 1968 after the original died.
- Biologists are currently attempting to clone the reference tree by grafting branches onto a young sapling to preserve the genetic line.
- Historical data from this tree was used to coordinate Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) logistics for harvest transport.
By The Numbers
2 weeks
earlier than 131-year average
131 years
duration of continuous records
25%
blossoms opened
7 days
earlier than 1991-2020 average
They Said
"Although it still flowers regularly, it now looks terrible."
"In general, everything in Switzerland has once again started to bloom much earlier this year."