In the Polish history of literature and literary criticism, assigning nationality to trees occurs despite the letter of the text and applies to the identification of the Polish identity both in individual species which grow to be symbols (for instance Kochanowski’s lime tree, sycamore tree in Laura and Philon [Laura i Filon], pine tree in Homeless People [Ludzie Bezdomni]), as well as in groups of trees (wilderness in Sir Thaddeus [Pan Tadeusz]), forest in references to the January uprising in Orzeszkowa’s short stories, Forest Echoes [Echa Leśne] or in Grottger’s paintings). In the patriotic historical narrative, forest is an ally to soldiers, refuge for guerillas, protagonist in first and second world war songs. Alas, despite the Polish identity of forest represented by specific trees, its belonging to the national culture does not have to go hand in hand with protective measures (even in the case of a nationalistic policy of the government).