PlantsMap

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10 plants worth knowing

France

Mainland France brings together four plant worlds: Atlantic heathland and oak forests in the west, Central European beech woods in the east, the high-mountain flora of the Alps and Pyrenees, and Mediterranean maquis and garrigue in the south. Forests cover nearly a third of the country, and the cultural landscape is shaped by vineyards, orchards and avenues of plane trees. The overseas departments – from French Guiana to Réunion – add tropical forests of enormous diversity.

Hover over a plant to see on the map where it grows.

where it grows

  1. English lavender 1

    shrub

    English lavender

    Lavandula angustifolia

    Purple lavender fields below Sénanque Abbey and on the Valensole plateau are the most recognisable image of Provence.
  2. Grapevine 2

    crop

    Grapevine

    Vitis vinifera

    Champagne, Burgundy, Bordeaux – for centuries French vineyards have set the world standard for winemaking.
  3. Yellow iris 3

    perennial · Regarded as the model for the fleur-de-lis – the emblem of the kings of France

    Yellow iris

    Iris pseudacorus

    Many scholars believe the golden “lily” on the arms of the French kings was a stylised flower of this riverside iris.
  4. London plane 4

    tree

    London plane

    Platanus × hispanica

    Shady avenues of plane trees along the Canal du Midi and on the squares of Provençal towns are the quintessence of the French landscape.
  5. Maritime pine 5

    tree

    Maritime pine

    Pinus pinaster

    The Landes Forest – nearly a million hectares of maritime pine – is the largest planted forest in Western Europe.
  6. Lily of the valley 6

    flower · Traditional flower of 1 May, given for good luck

    Lily of the valley

    Convallaria majalis

    On the first of May the French give each other sprigs of lily of the valley for luck – one of the country’s best-loved traditions.
  7. Sessile oak 7

    tree

    Sessile oak

    Quercus petraea

    The Tronçais Forest, laid out by Colbert for Louis XIV’s navy, now supplies oak for the most famous wine and cognac barrels.
  8. Silver wattle 8

    tree

    Silver wattle

    Acacia dealbata

    In winter the hills of the Côte d’Azur turn gold with flowering mimosa, and the “Route du Mimosa” runs from Bormes-les-Mimosas to Grasse.
  9. Common wheat 9

    crop

    Common wheat

    Triticum aestivum

    France is the European Union’s largest wheat producer, and in 2022 baguette culture joined UNESCO’s heritage list.
  10. Olive 10

    tree

    Olive

    Olea europaea

    The olive groves of Provence, Languedoc and Corsica give oil from Nyons, Nice and Les Baux – and Van Gogh painted the olive trees of Saint-Rémy over a dozen times.