Babisnauer Pappel, Dresden

The Babisnau Poplar is a black poplar near Babisnau, a district of the municipality of Kreischa in Saxony. It stands exposed on a plateau south of Dresden and is visible as a landmark from far away. The Babisnau landowner Johann Gottlieb Becke planted the poplar in 1808 as a border tree on the boundary of his property. It has been designated as a natural monument since 1936. The poplar lost a large part of its round crown during strong storms in 1967 and 1996. It is 17.3 meters high, the trunk has a circumference of 5.1 meters.

The tree is a popular destination for excursions because of the view to all sides and to the city of Dresden. During the German War in 1866, the poplar tree served as a lookout with a temporarily installed observation scaffold. A permanent lookout scaffold next to the tree was built in 1885 and was renewed in 1922, 1963 and 1999. The poplar has been vegetatively propagated several times since 1993. According to a legend, the poplar tree with its blossom, which does not appear every year, indicates the approaching end of a war. Twice a year, the Wendelauf is a popular race around the poplar.