Majestic and now recognized. A chestnut tree from La Celle-Saint-Cloud, in Yvelines, received the public prize in the Tree of the Year 2021 competition. For the 10th edition of this competition organized by the National Forestry Office (ONF) and Terre Sauvage magazine, 23,101 voters selected this extraordinary tree. The chestnut obtained 7,754 votes.
La Celle Saint-Cloud, the chestnut tree was already famous. The chestnut tree is rooted in a small park, in the heart of a residential area, called the chestnut grove. Imposing by its width, 25 meters wide and 20 meters high, it is also impressive by its great age, estimated at 330 years. The tree dates from the reign of Louis XIV, and grew in the middle of what must have been a meadow. For Mayor Olivier Delaporte, part of its history remains unknown. “I don’t know if it was planted, no one can tell, he explains. It’s been around since 1690, it’s been through a lot.” For the chosen one, this price is above all symbolic. “It is a recognition of the place of the tree in the city, he believes. It is not an element of urban decor. It exists, it pre-exists and it will probably survive our generations.”
For the contest, 220 specimens from different regions competed. Thirteen were selected by the jury before being submitted to the public vote. The chestnut tree of La Celle-Saint-Cloud will now compete for the prize for the European tree of the year.