There are a number of amazing trees throughout France. Types of french trees are native, but some have been brought over throughout the years. Whether you want the majestic oaks, or the smaller heath tree, France has it all.
Here, we are going to go through some stunning trees that you can find in the country of France. You might be surprised by some beauties you can find in this tranquil countryside!
French Trees
1. Pedunculate Oak (Quercus Robur)
The Pedunculate, English, or common oak, is a tree native to most of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. It is the most widely planted deciduous tree in the world.
It has leaves that are compound, consisting of three leaflets on each side of the leaf stalk. The acorns are large, oval-shaped, brownish black, and contain 2 or 3 seeds. This tree can grow up to 100 feet tall and live more than 200 years.
2. Sessile Oak (Quercus Petraea)
This is another very popular type of oak found in much of Europe, including France. They are medium-sized trees with dark green foliage, which turn red in autumn.
These trees can grow up to almost 100 feet tall, and can have a diameter of four feet or more. They also have small, pointed leaves. Sessile means they do not have roots; they attach themselves directly to the ground.
3. Pubescent Oak (Quercus Pubescens)
The Pubescent, or hairy oak, grows best in moist areas, such as riverbanks and woodlands. It is a rather small tree with smooth gray bark, and has rounded branches.
The leaves are about six inches long, and are arranged alternately along the stems. Its acorn cups are covered in soft hair called pubescence.
4. Maritime Pine (Pinus Pinaster)
These are evergreen coniferous trees that grow in coastal regions. They are native to southern England, and western Ireland. The Maritime Pine is an attractive species because of its thick, glossy needles.
It will grow anywhere between 25 and 50 meters high, and can live up to 1,000 years.
5. Scots Pine (Pinus Sylvestris)
This species is native to Europe, Eastern Asia, and Northern America. It was introduced to Britain during Roman times.
Today, the Scots Pine is one of the most commonly grown pines in Europe due to its ability to withstand harsh winters. While it does need a lot of space to thrive, it is still quite a beautiful specimen.
6. Calabrian Pine (Pinus Brutia)
This rare Mediterranean conifer is native to Southern Italy and France. It is often confused with Aleppo pine, but it is actually a different species.
Calabrian pine is frequently used to create Christmas decorations, and is known for having a unique scent. It can grow up to 60 meters tall, and has grayish-brown cones.
7. Austrian Pine (Pinus Nigra)
This species is from Central Europe, and is a relative of the Norway Spruce. It grows up to 30 meters tall and is considered to be the tallest European spruce.
The Austrian pine is very similar to the Norway Spruce, except for the fact that it has thicker branches.
8. Swiss Pine (Pinus Cembra)
The Swiss Pine is native to France, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein, and northern Italy. It is a fast-growing coniferous tree that can reach heights of over 115 feet.
Its light green needles grow up to five centimeters long. The Swiss Pine is used to make wooden furniture, and is particularly prized for its durability and resistance to insects.
9. Mugo pine (Pinus mugo)
This species is found throughout Europe, especially in the Carpathians Mountains. Mugos are slow growing conifers, and can grow up to 50 meters tall.
Their needles are around two centimeters long. The Mugo Pine is well suited to mountainous terrain, making it a good choice for landscaping.
10. Parasol Pine (Pinus Pinea)
The Parasol Pine is native to Spain, Southern France, Portugal, and Morocco. It is a semi-evergreen coniferous tree that lives for hundreds of years.
The parasol pine can grow up to 40 meters tall, and has yellowish needles that grow up to three centimeters long. It is planted widely throughout Europe, and its wood is highly valued for its beauty and strength.
11. Aleppo Pine (Pinus Halepensis)
This Mediterranean conifer is native specifically to Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Cyprus, Turkey, Greece, and Southern France. Aleppos are deciduous conifers that have been cultivated since ancient times.
In addition to being a popular ornamental plant, they also produce resin used in medicine. These trees may grow up to 80 meters tall, and their white flowers bloom all year round.
12. Beech (Fagus Sylvatica)
Beech is a common name of several types of trees in the family Fagaceae; these include the American Beech (Fagus grandifolia), the Common Beech (Fagus silvatica), and the Sycamore Beech (Fagus orientalis).
They are medium-sized deciduous trees or shrubs that typically grow up to 40 meters tall.
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13. Spanish Juniper (Juniperus Thurifera)
The Spanish Juniper is native to Northern Africa, Southern Europe, and Western Asia.
This evergreen coniferous tree can grow as high as 40 meters tall, and produces small needle-like leaves that grow up to one centimeter long. The foliage is dark blue, and the berries are brown when ripe.
14. Heath Tree (Erica arborea)
The Heath Tree is a herbaceous perennial plant native to southern England, Wales, parts of Ireland, and the Atlantic coast of North America.
It is commonly referred to simply as heather, and is sometimes called Scotch broom due to its similarity to this other plant.
This plant can be found in France, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, and Russia.
It can grow up to 10 meters tall, and is known for having beautiful pink flowers with yellow centers.
15. European Larch (Larix Decidua)
The European Larch is native to Central Europe, including Scandinavia, the Balkans, and the Alps. It is a coniferous tree that grows up to 30 meters tall, and has slender branches that can easily break.
The bark on the trunk is smooth, and the leaves are arranged spirally along the stem.
16. Norway Maple Tree (Acer Platanoides)
The Norway Maple is a deciduous broadleaf tree that grows up to 60 meters tall. It has alternate, simple leaves that are green above and dull red below.
Its flower buds appear before the leaves, and the fall color ranges from orange to purple. The Norway Maple is native to most of Northern Europe, but is often grown as an ornamental.
17. Douglas-Fir Tree (Pseudotsuga Menziesii)
The Douglas-fir is a large coniferous tree that can grow up to 50 meters tall. It can be found in France, and is popularly cultivated in California, Oregon, Washington state, Canada, and Japan.
The Douglas-fir has thick, gray bark that peels off in thin strips once the tree reaches maturity. The Douglas-firs’ cones are cone-shaped and contain up to 5 seeds. Each seed is about 2 centimeters long.
18. Sweet Chestnut (Castanea Sativa)
The Sweet Chestnut is a deciduous tree native to central and Eastern Europe. It is widely planted around the world, and is considered a valuable hardwood timber species.
Unlike many other trees, it does not need pollination by animals to reproduce.
19. Atlas Cedar (Cedrus Atlantica)
The Atlas Cedar is a medium size cedar native to northern Morocco, and northern Algeria, as well as some parts of Europe.
It can reach heights of 80 meters, and has narrow elliptical leaves that are approximately 1 meter long. These leaves have fine hairs covering them, which give the Atlas Cedar a light brown appearance.
20. Lebanon Cedar (Cedrus libani)
The Lebanon Cedar is a medium size coniferous tree that is native to parts of the Middle East and some countries in Europe. It can grow up to 80 meters tall, and has straight, grayish wood.
The leaves are similar to those of the Atlas Cedar, but they are smaller, only reaching half a meter in length.
21. Mediterranean Cypress (Cupressus Sempervirens)
The Mediterranean cypress is a medium size conifer that grows up to 25 meters tall. It is native to Southern Europe, Turkey, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Spain, and France.
It is often used as an ornamental because of its dense foliage and dark green needles.
22. Mediterranean Fir (Abies Bornmuelleriana)
The Mediterranean fir is a medium size conifer that grows up to 30 meters tall. It can be seen in the mountains of southern France, Italy, Sardinia, Corsica, and Sicily.
It has needle like leaves that are slightly curved backwards and pointed towards the top.
23. Silver Fir (Abies Alba)
The Silver Fir is a small conifer that grows up to 10 meters or fewer. It is native to the Alps, Pyrenees, Carpathians, and Caucasus Mountains. This tree produces cones with two seeds per cone.
24. Loblolly Pine (Pinus Taeda)
The Loblolly pine is a medium-sized conifer that can grow up to 25 meters tall, although it rarely exceeds this height. It is one of the most common pines throughout the southeastern United States and some countries in Europe.
The loblolly pine’s needles are bright green when new, but turn yellow over time. They grow in flat clusters on the ends of
25. Nordmann’s Fir (Abies Nordmanniana)
The Nordmanns fir is a medium size evergreen conifer that grows up to 20 meters tall. It is commonly found in Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Belgium, France, and Northern Italy.
26. Yew (Taxus Baccata)
The Yew is a medium-sized conifer that grows in abundance across much of Europe. Its leaves are oval shaped and grow out from the center of the plant.
To propagate the yew, it must be dug up, cut into pieces, and then replanted. It takes several years before the yew will begin producing any fruit.
27. Sitka Spruce (Picea Sitchensis)
The Sitka spruce is a medium size conical tree that grows up to 45 meters tall. It is usually found growing in coastal areas along the Pacific Northwest coastline.
Its bark is smooth and gray, while the trunk of the tree is covered in short vertical lines called lenticels.
28. Olive Tree (Olea Europaea)
The olive tree is a large deciduous tree that grows in temperate climates around the world. Although the olive trees produce fruit year round, their growth is slow during the winter months. Olive trees tend to prefer full sun conditions.
29. Hop Hornbeam (Ostrya Carpinifolia)
The Hop hornbeam is a medium size deciduous tree that is native to Central Europe. The hop hornbeam is capable of growing up to 55 meters tall. Its leaves have five leaflets and are ovate.
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30. Turkey Oak (Quercus Cerris)
The Turkey oak is a medium size deciduous tree that grows up to 35 meters tall. It is abundant all over Europe and Asia Minor.
31. Green Alder (Alnus Alnobetula)
The Green Alder is a medium size deciduous tree that grows up to 40 meters tall. In fact, it is one of the largest trees in Europe. It prefers wetter soils than other trees and is known for being able to withstand harsh winters.
The Green Alder also tends to be very fast-growing.
32. Peking Willows (Salix Babylonica)
These willow species are native to China and Japan, as well as a few European countries. Peking Willows are deciduous shrubs that grow up to 40 feet tall. Their leaves are long and narrow, and they grow in tight clumps.
33. Evergreen Oak (Quercus Ilex)
The Evergreen Oak is an evergreen tree that grows up to 50 meters tall. It is native to Southern Europe and parts of North Africa. As its name suggests, the evergreen oak is capable of growing even when there is little sunlight.
34. European Hornbeam (Carpinus Betulus)
The European Hornbeam is a medium size tree that grows up to 30 meters tall. It is found primarily in Central Europe, where it is often used in hedges or planted in parks.
The European Hornbeam has thin, needle-like foliage and grows in dense clusters of branches.
35. Red Oak (Quercus Rubra)
The Red Oak is a medium size tree with thick roots that can reach depths of more than two meters. It is native to Europe and the Mediterranean region.
The Red Oak is similar in appearance to the American redwood. However, the Red Oak does not get quite as big.
36. European White Elm (Ulmus Laevis Pall)
The European white elm is a medium size tree which grows up to 30 meters tall. It is typically found growing in moist soil near rivers, lakes, and streams. Like most elms, the European white elm is capable of tolerating drought conditions.
37. Wild Cherry (Prunus Avium)
The wild cherry is a small deciduous tree that only grows up to 15 meters tall. It is mostly found in western and Central Europe. The wild cherry’s leaves are oval and pointed at the ends. They grow on long stalks and are arranged in opposite pairs.
38. Quaking Aspen (Populus Tremula)
The quaking aspen is a medium-sized deciduous tree that can grow up to 25 meters tall. It is common throughout much of North America and some European countries.
The quaking aspen is unique among poplars because the stems do not branch out until after the first frost. This allows the quaking aspen to grow upright without breaking.
39. Pyrenean Oak (Quercus Pyrenaica)
The Pyrenean oak is a medium size tree whose range includes Spain, France, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, and Germany. The Pyrenean oak is considered to be one of the oldest living trees in the world.
It is a slow-growing tree that rarely reaches heights greater than 20 meters. It is usually found growing along riverbanks.
40. Black Poplar (Populus Nigra)
The black poplar is a medium size tree, but it can grow taller than 30 meters. It is native from Central and Eastern Europe, through Turkey, into Asia Minor and Iran.
Black poplar is a deciduous tree that sheds its leaves during the winter months. Its bark is smooth and dark yellowish brown.
41. French Plane Tree (Platanus x Acerifolia)
The French plane tree is a medium size tree. It grows up to 35 meters tall and can live for over 200 years. It is commonly known as the “London Plane” due to the fact that it was introduced to England by Henry VIII.
The French plane tree is native to Europe, including France, Belgium, and Germany. The tree’s leaves
42. Strawberry Tree (Arbutus Unedo)
The strawberry tree is a medium size evergreen tree that grows up to 10 meters tall. It is native to Southern Europe, including Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, Malta, and Greece. The strawberry tree is also cultivated around the world.
43. Tulip Tree (Liriodendron Tulipifera)
The tulip tree is a large deciduous tree that grows up to 60 meters tall. It is found throughout eastern North America, extending south to Mexico and northern Argentina.
The tulip tree has compound leaf arrangements and produces showy flowers each spring.
Final Thoughts
France has a surprising number of beautiful trees. While many people think of American forests when they think of green spaces, there are actually plenty of wonderful trees in France.
From the colorful beauties to the giants and oaks – there are trees that you can fall in love with wherever you go!
The majority of people who have no interest in the subject, and aren’t green fingered assume that all plants and vegetables require the same growing conditions. This is not the case at all. Each plant has its own unique and interesting history and growing process.
I hope you will find The Natural List useful, and that it will help educate you on the wide variety of different flower and plant species there are across the globe.
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