in Paris, the chestnut trees lose their leaves

The capital has been wearing a false air of autumn for several weeks now. The leaves of the chestnut trees have already begun to fall. A spectacle that saddens some Parisians. “It’s a bit sad, because it means that the trees are not doing very well”, says a passerby. In the Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, the green spaces team closely monitors the chestnut trees. “Compared to the climatic conditions, there has been no rain for too long”says Timothé Peiger.

Dropping these leaves is a natural reflex of the horse chestnut tree to protect itself from drought. But other dangers await it, such as the leaf miner, a disease which sees a larva nibbling its foliage, or even the little of space it has. The fall rainfall should allow the chestnut trees to resume their growth.