Iconic ombu tree that inspired famous Spanish poet gets the chop in Benalmádena

Benalmádena town hall has been forced to cut down an iconic ombu tree after it was damaged during recent high winds. The huge leafy tree, which was located on the corner of Avenida de las Palmeras and Avenida Antonio Machado, has provided shade to this corner for more than 30 years.

The tree was also the source of inspiration for the Cordovan poet and winner of the Prince of Asturias Prize for Literature, Pablo García Baena, who dedicated a poem to this tree, a species native to the mountains of Northeast Argentina, Uruguay and southern Brazil.

The poem was displayed on a plaque that was installed in front of the tree in 2018, just a few months after the death of the poet. Baena lived in Benalmádena for many years, and, although his last years were spent in his homeland, he often returned to Benalmádena and was among the many local residents and visitors who liked to sit under the shade of the tree.

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The forced removal by a team of firefighters has left a big void in the area's urban landscape and in the hearts of many of the local residents, who through social media networks continue to remember with photos the beauty of the Benalmádena ombú.

The town hall has promised to plant another ombu tree in the same location, and also return the plaque with the poem by Baena.

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“It is a source of pride for Benalmádena that a poet of the stature of García Baena dedicated some verses to the tree, which was also included in a collection of poems that was published posthumously. The ombu has thus become part of Andalusian and Spanish literature and that is why we believe that it is important to recover that plaque, which was removed to be preserved after the fall of the tree, and to plant another tree of the same species,” Benalmádena councillor Enrique Pablo Centella said.