Saturday, August 21, 2010

the oldest tree in Paris

On a grand trip to France with my mother, Monica, we sought out all types of gardens and gems of the plant world.
This tree is
"said to be the oldest tree in Paris — a false acacia brought to France from Virginia in 1601, and now shored up with concrete posts" (New York Times Article, The Hidden Gardens of Paris, June, 2008). Who brought it? Don't know. Whats a false acacia? Its a Black Locust!
Wait a minute... we are from Virginia, and here we are in Paris visiting an old tree from our homeland. Awh. Hello cousin!
So naturally we think to take some seeds back to Virginia and grow them on the farm. Take things full circle! And in 400 more years a french mother and daughter could come visit this tree! Yeah!

It is wonderful that people have made these huge efforts to assist the tree to keep standing, note the flying buttress-like support and another, disguised to look like a tree, with a bark like finish. The real tree trunk is to the left and the support is the trunk on the right. YES to details.

I love you tree. You're lucky to live in Paris- and what you have seen in 400 years...


2 comments:

Handy said...

Where does the oldest tree in Paris live? I want to visit...

nellie said...

Square René Viviani by the church St.-Julien-le-Pauvre which is by the shaekespeare and co. bookstore, across the river from the Notre-Dame

i hope you can go see it and send me a picture please