The Calabrian Pine of the Jardin des Plantes

In June 2021 the city of Rouen put a pine tree on crutches. Its gardeners built a support structure under the crown because the tree was at risk of coming down, and the announcement explained why it was worth the trouble: a Pinus brutia over 120 years old, a species from Asia Minor and the Black Sea coast that the city describes as unique in the region because it does not normally grow this far north. Rouen calls it the pin de Calabre. In English the same species is usually called the Turkish pine. That age comes from the city's own statement and we have found no second source confirming it, which is worth saying plainly rather than dressing up. It is also the only tree on this list you can reach without a car: the Jardin des Plantes is a free municipal botanical garden on the left bank, open daily, a short walk from the tram. The garden covers eight hectares and we cannot yet say which path the pine stands on, so expect to hunt a little. If you find it, tell us where.