Overview

• Forensic analysis by the Hessian plant protection service confirmed glyphosate injections in ten Riedstadt trees, including the 200-year-old Karl-Spengler oak nature monument.
• A platane on Butzbach’s Nussallee was drilled and treated with glyphosate, sustaining permanent damage that rules out rescue.
• Similar drill-and-inject attacks have been reported in Frankfurt, Limburg and now Großkrotzenburg, suggesting a coordinated campaign across multiple Hessian towns.
• The Kriminaldirektion Darmstadt’s environmental crime unit has taken over investigations, with local authorities filing criminal complaints and offering rewards for information.
• Municipalities are intensively watering affected trees and delaying felling until after bird breeding season as experts urge stricter glyphosate regulations to safeguard urban greenery.