• The weeping beech of Cassel, in the North, has won the “Tree of the Year 2022” competition.

  • He will represent France at European level in February.

  • The town hall of Cassel invites the government to make this tree the national emblem of environmental issues.


A dream week for Kassel.

The northern city saw, on Saturday evening, its amateur football club become the little thumb of the Coupe de France.

And now Monday noon, she learned that the weeping beech, entered in the competition for the "tree of the year 2022", won the trophy hands down.

"Not even need for shots on goal", quipped Fabrice Duhoo, first deputy mayor of the town, already elected "favorite village of the French" in 2018.

This competition is a bit like the “Miss France” of trees.

It has been organized for more than ten years by the magazine

Terre sauvage

with the help of the National Forestry Office.

And for 2022, it is therefore the tree that has been enthroned on the heights of Cassel for almost 150 years that has won the right to participate in the European competition, from February.

For the record, a French tree has never been elected.

A tree that dates from 1880

Initially, there were 150 candidates, then a selection of 15, one per region, was defined by a jury.

Before Internet users choose the northern yew with nearly 5,600 votes, almost a thousand more than the second, a lime tree planted in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.

“We found a photo dating from 1890 where we see this tree in the background, says Fabrice Duhoo.

Given its size at the time, we estimated that it must have been planted around 1880 on the terrace of the château, which had become a public garden.

» The beech escaped the fire of the mill in 1911 and the bombardments of the city in 1940. Today, this majestic tree has a trunk 4.50 m in circumference.

For the deputy mayor, “it could very well become the official emblem of environmental issues for France”.

“We are appealing to the government, he explains to

20 Minutes

.

The beech is an endangered tree.

Why not make this weeping beech the symbol of the fight to preserve the climate and nature?

»

The ball is therefore in the court of the French leaders.

And speaking of the ball, the regional club (6th level) must meet the stars of PSG on Monday for a historic 16th final of the Coupe de France.

This leaves the door open to all hopes.

Science

Children's questions: "Can trees communicate with each other?"

asks Elena (10 years old)

Planet

Val-de-Marne: An association wants to save a 400-year-old oak tree in Saint-Maur-des-Fossés

  • Company

  • Tree

  • French Cup

  • Soccer

  • Lille

  • Hauts-de-France

  • Competition