Trees of Europe - Parc de Bercy

After visiting the formal gardens west of the Louvre, I headed east to Parc de Bercy and found a completely different approach to tree planting and park layout.

The park was developed on the site of what was once the largest wine warehouse in the world. At its peak in the 1800s, it served as the centre of the global wine trade. Trees that once surrounded the market, still stand today and are clearly visible in a postcard dated 1908.

Trees in Bercy are allowed to retain their natural form with species diversity and a narrative driven layout. Plantings are loose and irregular, with species grouped to form distinctive clusters that create varied environments and settings throughout the park. Little or no pruning or pollarding is evident, a common practice elsewhere in Europe (a topic for another day), allowing trees to develop full crowns and provide generous shade.

The photos here show mature Platanus × acerifolia (London plane) from the original market era, as well as Salix alba (white willow) and Salix babylonica (weeping willow) planted more recently around the park’s water features. Along the adjacent street is an avenue of London plane allowed to grow straight and tall, creating an avenue of trees through the park.

Unlike the hedged and symmetrical plantings of the Tuileries, the trees in Bercy show minimal intervention. Pruning is limited to structural correction or preventative maintenance. The result is an immersive landscape with a distinctly natural park feel.