Beneath the sun-kissed grass of Lakanal School in Sceaux, a 240-year-old purple beech towers above every other tree, its trunk as thick as an SUV and its leaves the color of ripe plums. Standing 30 meters high, this remarkable tree earned official recognition in 2023 as an Arbre Remarquable—one of France's most exceptional specimens—and it has become a living symbol of one city's defiant commitment to preserving its urban forest for generations to come.
Sceaux, nestled just south of Paris, has long celebrated what locals call its "Plant Heritage." The city's 181-hectare estate draws hundreds of thousands of visitors each year to admire its Japanese cherry blossoms, but the true wealth lies deeper: across parks, green spaces, and private properties, Sceaux is home to more than 65,000 trees. Within the city limits alone sit 143 officially recognized remarkable trees. Yet for all this abundance, the city faced a mounting crisis. Roots stressed by foot traffic and underground utilities, rising chemical and plastic pollution, spreading diseases, and the intensifying grip of climate change—with its droughts and extreme weather—threatened to unravel the botanical inheritance Sceaux had built over centuries.
On October 2, 2019, the municipal council unanimously adopted an answer: a comprehensive Tree Charter developed in consultation with scientists and residents. "Sceaux is a special place, it has a lot of trees," explained Mayor Philippe Laurent, who has led the city since 2001. "But this plant heritage is something that builds itself over time, it requires both individual and collective action. That's why we made the charter."
The charter branches into three strategic directions. First, it deepens knowledge of the city's trees and showcases them. Authorities conducted a complete inventory of all trees, launched regular guided walks, and published educational materials for residents and practical documents for private landowners on good tree stewardship. Second, the charter aims to improve tree health both publicly and privately. A dedicated team now plants, prunes, and monitors trees regularly, focusing on species adapted to local soil and climate—particularly drought-resistant varieties. Newly planted rows alternate species rather than relying on single-species lines, reducing disease risk. Third, the charter secures the future. Partnerships with major landowners like RATP, France's national train company, incentivize protection of existing trees. Construction damage requires compensation fees. For every felled tree, two must be planted. The city even offers subsidies up to €200 to residents planting trees themselves.
The city's tree team works with both pragmatism and imagination. They've installed wheelchair-friendly grills that protect roots while preserving accessibility. They support struggling trees by injecting nutrient supplements into surrounding soil. "What we do here is never static," notes Anna Massong, director of technical services at City Hall. "We're constantly monitoring, constantly trying to improve."
Mayor Laurent views trees as more than ecological infrastructure. "We see trees as a long-term investment," he says. "They boost biodiversity, they contribute to urban resilience, they help us to relax." As urban forests worldwide face intensifying threats, Sceaux's methodical, science-backed approach offers a model: one where a city commits not just to protect the trees it has, but to actively expand its green canopy for a future it may never fully see.