To prevent the formation of sprouts on trunks of free-standing trees and on the lower branches of plantation trees, to prevent trunks of suddenly free-standing trees from forming fresh foliage and to protect the bark of these trees against sun rays and furthermore to prevent branches from forming on valuable rare timber in forests, a tree protector which is made of porous, breathing, light- and moisture-impermeable rubber or plastic and whose vents are intertwined or open towards the bottom, is applied. The weatherproof tree protector can be applied without complications, either by rolling onto the stem, the tree protector being glued on or in the form of an antibacterial self-adhesive product, or sprayed on in the form of an antibacterial foam. With regard to colour, this can be adapted to suit the trees to be protected. For old specimens of trees which are worth retaining, the tree protector is complemented by a collecting system to allow poisoned water ("acid rain") to be kept away from the root system.
