Is the most beautiful tree in France at Saint-Maurice Abbey in Clohars-Carnoët?

What if this was the happy conclusion of a whole series of activities offered around the tree this year at Saint-Maurice Abbey, a site belonging to the Conservatoire du Littoral and managed by the municipality of Clohars-Carnoët? “It’s a logical outcome. We have scheduled workshops, conferences, shows around the project entitled Sous monarbre,” confides Maël Garré, the site manager who decided to compete for the tree of the year, organized since 2011 by the National Office. of forests, the magazine Terre Sauvage and the ARBRES association. But how to select just one among hundreds of others in the vast 120 hectare park?

An oak planted on the banks of the Laïta

The choice fell on an old gnarled oak with a wide trunk, less tall than its congeners which look down on it from the more sheltered wooded area. Planted in the middle of a current of air facing a meander of the Laïta, it has been sculpted by the elements. “It’s a bonsai oak,” smiles Maël Garré. It is highlighted in a wild landscape, both maritime and rural. » And above all, it is located at the entrance to the abbey site, close to the path taken by many visitors and hikers throughout the year. “It must be seen and known to the public,” recalls the site manager. The old oak must both embody the abbey site and make people want to vote to support this initiative. The bench planted under its foliage invites contemplation. And its environment inspires photographers and artists. “He is often photographed and painted. Moreover, in the registration file I have attached a postcard from 1907 and a watercolor”, specifies the coastal agent, while adding: “it is difficult to date”.

The representative of the region

The presentation of this centuries-old tree caught the attention of the jury who selected it to represent Brittany and be among the fourteen finalists out of the 120 applications from all over France. If aesthetic characteristics count in the choice, its history and its location also weigh in the deliberations of the jurors. And once the final list is established, it's up to the public to vote. Hence the interest in offering a tree known to as many people as possible while focusing on regional fiber. “It’s a bit like the competition for the French’s favorite village,” explains Maël Garré, who dreams of a happy outcome like the “giraffe” oak of Fouesnant, first winner of the competition in 2011, or the bonsai oak of Bgard (22 ) which won the votes in 2013. These two trees, subsequently classified as remarkable, are the only ones in Brittany to have won the coveted public prize. Internet voting has been open since November 8. Online voting closes on December 20 and the winners will be announced on January 13. The winner will represent France in the European Tree of the Year final. For the moment, the oak from the abbey site of Saint-Maurice is in third position, ahead of the oak representing the Grand Est and that of Occitanie.