Oak, tamarisk, plane tree, beech, yew, elm, walnut, fig tree….
French trees are in the spotlight thanks to this annual competition.
To discover
January: what vegetables and fruits are in season?
What is the Tree of the Year competition?
This is a competition organized annually since 2011 by
Terre Sauvage
magazine and the National Forestry Office (ONF).
Trees from all regions of mainland France but also overseas are presented by individuals and groups (families, associations, municipalities, schools, etc.).
Photos of the candidate tree are accompanied by a text relating its history, its aesthetic and biological qualities and the link that unites it to the person or group presenting it (cultural, emotional, social, symbolic importance, etc.).
This year 3 prizes were awarded: Jury Prize, Public Prize and the Coup de Cœur Prize.
Key figures:
140 candidates
27,555 votes in total
The jury is made up of the ONF, Terre Sauvage
magazine
, the ARBRES association, and the Bird Protection League (LPO).
In September 2023, he selected 14 candidates, who were put to public vote from November 8 to December 18.
Who are the three winners of the competition?
Public Prize: the weeping beech of Bayeux
This weeping beech from Bayeux won the Public Prize for Tree of the Year 2023. E. Boitier /Terre Sauvage
This majestic beech tree planted in the botanical garden of Bayeux, in Normandy, won the Public Prize with 8,051 votes.
It could be more than 200 years old and would come from a grafting between two varieties of beech.
Wingspan: more than 40 m
Height: 17 m
Area: 1250 square meters
A network of 600 m of cables and 1000 meters of rope connected to 4 10 m high masts were put in place to support its falling branches.
This weeping beech will represent France in the “European Tree of the Year” competition.
Voting will open on February 1, on the website treeoftheyear.org
Jury Prize: the lime tree of the “Combe Droit” of Lapeyrouse
The lime tree of the “Combe Droit” of Lapeyrouse, Jury Prize for Tree of the Year 2023. E. Boitier / Terre Sauvage
It is a pollarded lime tree (
Tilia platyphyllos
) with a hollow, short and massive trunk, located at the top of a plot of bocage meadow, in Puy-de-Dôme.
Circumference at 1.4m: 7.4m
Height: 26 m
This gigantic tree is home to many species of birds, such as the garden creeper, the great spotted woodpecker, the buzzard, the blue tit, the robin, the blackbird, but also squirrels...
Favorite prize of the Green Tree: the thousand-year-old olive tree
Olivier de Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, Favorite Prize.
E.Juppeaux / Terre Sauvage
A thousand-year-old olive tree,
Olea Europaea
, received the Coup de Cœur prize from the competition partner.
Composed of numerous large shoots, grew in the foundations of an old wall, in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin (Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur).
Its intertwined roots extend over a large area.
This tree is considered the oldest tree in France.
Circumference: 23.5 m
Height: 15 m
Estimated age: more than 2000 years
Did you know ?
This lime tree was recognized as a remarkable tree by the ARBRES association in 2016!
The 2024 competition is almost here!
From March 1st you can submit your tree application on the website www.arbredelannee.com.