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This page provides you with information about the nature of the tree-covered areas located in the public spaces of the city of Bitche.

The city of Bitche is home to over 670 trees spread across its streets, parks, and gardens. These trees are not merely decorative elements; they tell the story of the city, purify the air, provide shade in summer, and serve as habitats for many animals.

Notable Tree Species

Marker 8: Quercus robur, or English Oak, is a majestic tree easily recognizable thanks to its distinctive features:

• Leaves: Lobed, with 4 to 8 pairs of rounded lobes. Their base has two small “ears” (auricles). Green in summer, they turn yellow to golden brown in autumn.

• Acorns: Attached to long stalks (5 to 8 cm), giving the tree its name “pedunculate oak.” The acorns are elongated, green turning to light brown when mature.

• Bark: Gray-brown, thick, and deeply fissured in old trees. Rough texture, almost grid-like.

• Shape: Massive and wide, reaching 20 to 40 meters in height. It has a large trunk and sturdy, spreading branches.

• Flowers: Small and inconspicuous, with male flowers forming hanging yellowish catkins in spring. Female flowers are much smaller, in small groups near the leaves.

• Habitat: Found in deciduous forests, parks, and often as a solitary tree in fields where it becomes a majestic solitary tree.

• Lifespan: Extremely long-lived, capable of living for several centuries, even over 1,000 years.

• Uses: Its strong, durable wood is used for carpentry, construction, and barrels. The acorns feed many forest animals.

• Observation: You can admire the beautiful specimens around the Charles Wahl stadium.

 

Marker XX: Pseudotsuga menziesii, or Douglas Fir, is an imposing conifer easily recognizable by several features: 

• Needles: Soft, flat, and green, spirally arranged around the twigs. When crushed, the needles release a pleasant citrus or resin scent. The underside of the needles has two white (stomatal) bands.

• Cones: Hanging (6 to 10 cm long), with brown scales covered with small three-pointed bracts that resemble mouse tongues sticking out. This is a signature feature of Douglas fir.

• Bark: Reddish-brown, thick, and deeply furrowed on old trees. Smooth and gray on young trees.

• Shape: A tall tree reaching 50 to 70 meters in Europe (up to 100 meters in its native habitat in North America). Conical shape, especially in young trees.

• Wood: High-quality, durable, often used in carpentry and construction.

• Origin: Native to the west coast of North America. Introduced to Europe in the 19th century as a forest and ornamental tree.

• Habitat: Planted in parks, gardens, and especially in forests for its valuable wood.

 

Marker 10: Cercidiphyllum japonicum, or Katsura Tree, is a magnificent tree easily recognizable thanks to its unique features:

• Leaves: Heart-shaped, with slightly serrated edges. Light green in spring, dark green in summer, then turning spectacular shades of yellow, orange, pink, and purple in autumn. The leaves release a sweet caramel or burnt sugar scent when they fall in autumn, hence the name.

• Shape: A medium-sized tree reaching 10 to 15 meters tall. Often with a single trunk or several trunks creating an elegant, spreading silhouette.

• Bark: Gray-brown with vertical fissures on older trees.

• Flowers: Small and inconspicuous, appearing in spring before the leaves. The flowers are separate: males are reddish, and females are green.

• Fruits: Small, elongated capsules containing winged seeds.

• Origin: Native to the forests of Japan and China.

• Uses: Often planted as an ornamental tree in parks and gardens for its autumn colors and characteristic fragrance.

Marker XX: Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ‘Diks Weeping’, or Weeping Lawson Cypress, is an ornamental variety of Lawson Cypress, easily recognizable by several features:

• Shape: Distinctive weeping form, with branches elegantly cascading towards the ground. It can reach between 4 and 6 meters tall when mature.

• Foliage: Hanging branches with green, often blue-green scales. In winter, the foliage may take on slightly bronze hues.

• Bark: Thin, reddish-brown, which may become slightly fissured with age.

• Cones: Small (8 to 12 mm), round, with scales that open to release seeds.

• Scent: The branches emit a slight resinous scent when rubbed.

• Habitat: Often planted as an ornamental tree for its elegance and unique silhouette. It is appreciated in gardens for creating a cascading vegetative effect.

• Observation: It can be seen in the Garden for Peace.

Marker XX: Acer pseudoplatanus, or Sycamore Maple, is a common tree easily recognized thanks to the following characteristics:

• Leaves: Large (10 to 15 cm), hand-shaped with five well-defined lobes. The upper side is dark green, and the underside is lighter, sometimes slightly bluish. In autumn, they turn golden yellow.

• Bark: Gray and smooth on young trees, becoming scaly and peeling in irregular patches with age, revealing light brown to pinkish areas.

• Flowers: Arranged in hanging clusters (called panicles), yellow-green in color, appearing in spring.

• Fruits: Paired samaras forming a wide angle (often nearly 180°). These winged seeds spin as they fall.

• Shape: A large tree reaching 20 to 35 meters in height, with a broad, rounded crown.

• Habitat: Common in deciduous forests, parks, and gardens. It tolerates various soils and urban conditions.

• Location: XXXX

Marker 12 and 13: Tilia platyphyllos, or Large-Leaved Linden, is often planted near churches, symbolizing peace and justice. It is easily recognized by several features:

• Leaves: Large (up to 15 cm), heart-shaped with a pointed tip. The upper side is green and slightly rough, while the underside is lighter and covered with small white hairs. The veins are well-marked.

• Flowers: In June-July, it produces clusters of highly fragrant yellow flowers. These flowers are rich in nectar and attract many insects, especially bees.

• Bark: Gray and smooth on young trees, becoming more deeply fissured with age.

• Fruits: Small, round capsules covered in hairs, attached to a long pale yellow bract that resembles a wing.

• Shape: A large tree with a dense, rounded crown, reaching up to 30 meters in height.

• Location: Observable along the ramparts of the citadel. They were replanted in XXX.

 

Weeping Trees: Recognizing their Unique Form

Characteristics of Weeping Trees:

• Shape: Long, thin, downward-hanging branches. They may sometimes touch the ground.

• Growth: Branches often grow downward from their origin on the trunk.

• Overall Appearance: They have a parasol, cascade, or tent-like shape. 

 

Examples of Weeping Trees and How to Recognize Them:

• Weeping Willow (Salix babylonica): Long, narrow, lance-shaped leaves, green and slightly silvery underneath. Very flexible branches that reach the ground. Often grows near water, where it appears even more majestic.

• Weeping Beech (Fagus sylvatica ‘Pendula’): Oval, glossy green leaves in summer, turning golden in autumn. Very dense, hanging branches forming a sort of green curtain. Gray, smooth bark that cracks with age.

• Weeping Cherry (Prunus serrulata ‘Kiku-shidare-zakura’): Pink or white flowers in spring, in hanging clusters. Serrated leaves, often red or bronze when young. A small tree often used as an ornament.

• Weeping Sophora (Sophora japonica ‘Pendula’): Small, dark green, paired leaves. Long, thin, hanging branches. Yellow flower clusters in summer (on older specimens).

• Weeping Lawson Cypress (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana ‘Diks Weeping’): Scale-like green or blue-green foliage on flexible, hanging branches. Narrow, weeping shape.

Why Trees Become Weeping:

These forms are often the result of horticultural selection. Weeping trees are usually grafted varieties, maintained on rootstocks to preserve their shape.

 

Marker 3: Sequoiadendron giganteum, or Giant Sequoia, is an impressive tree recognizable by several features:

• Height and Width: It can reach up to 90 meters in height, with a trunk diameter of up to 10 meters. Even young trees have very wide trunks.

• Bark: Reddish-brown, very thick (up to 30 cm), soft, and fibrous to the touch. Often deeply furrowed.

• Leaves: Dark green, scale-like, and spirally arranged along the twigs.

• Cones: Small for such a large tree (5 to 8 cm long), oval-shaped, and light brown when mature.

• Shape: Characteristic silhouette: very wide at the base and tapering towards the top, like a spire.

  

Marker XX: Acer griseum, or Paperbark Maple, is easily identifiable thanks to several unique characteristics:

• Bark: Its most distinctive feature is the cinnamon or reddish-brown bark that peels away in thin strips, giving it a paper-like appearance.

• Leaves: Composed of three leaflets, with a green upper side and a slightly bluish or grayish underside. In autumn, they turn spectacular shades of red-orange.

• Size: A small to medium-sized tree, typically reaching between 6 and 9 meters in height.

• Fruits: Produces samaras, the small winged seeds that spin as they fall.

• Shape: Often has a spreading form with thin, elegant branches.

 

Marker XX: Parrotia persica, or Persian Ironwood, is a remarkable tree recognizable by the following features

• Leaves: Oval with a wavy or toothed edge. Young leaves are often red or bronze, turning dark green in summer, then displaying spectacular colors in autumn: yellow, orange, red, and purple.

• Bark: One of its most remarkable features: gray-brown, exfoliating in irregular patches, revealing shades of green, white, and pinkish-brown, creating a mosaic-like appearance.

• Flowers: Small, red flowers appear directly on the branches before the leaves in February-March. These flowers are inconspicuous, lacking petals but with striking red stamens.

• Shape: Often spreading with sinuous branches creating an elegant silhouette, reaching between 6 and 10 meters in height.

• Fruits: Small brown capsules that open to release seeds.

• Origin: Native to the forests of Iran and the Caucasus.

• Uses: Highly valued as an ornamental tree in gardens for its autumn colors and decorative bark.