Eastern France: Fraxinus excelsior | photo: Chantal Pradines
The average number of tree avenues is unknown because of very few inventories. Avenues depend on the “Directions Interrégionales des Routes” for the “routes nationales” (representing roughly 10 000 km), on the “Conseils départementaux” for the “routes départementales” (roughly 380 000 km), on the municipalities for the other roads (670 000 km). (Motorways representing 11 000 km). There are some data for a few “Départements” and cities (and in some case the evolution for the last decades or last century).
Plane trees emblematic of southern France and of old “routes nationales”, dating back to the end of the 19th century. France has ash trees, maple, lime, horse chestnut. Some pines too. Also fruit trees, for instance in the eastern part of France but they are disappearing. In cities along newly planted avenues there are a rich variety of species.
There are still some avenues along big roads, but mostly along smaller ones. You find Avenues in or leading to churchyards, in French style gardens, leading to castles. In France there are no general regulation concerning avenues. A very little number is protected as cultural heritage, or as natural site, or as landscape element. Very few new plantings are undertaken in the countryside.
Southern France: plane trees – protected through the Directive Paysagère des Alpilles – specific landscape protection for this region | photo: Chantal Pradines