Ratery Forest

An endemic species in Europe, this conifer grows well in sunny mountain areas. It can reach 1000 year in age and it does not suffer from major problems with insects. However, the larch tortrix does cause it damage: the caterpillar eats shoots and causes the needles to go yellow and fall prematurely; the larch then looks like a dead tree in the midst of summer. While the best trunks are selected for felling, the undergrowth is used for pasture by the herds which congregate in the light shade it provides.

A companion to the larch in high-altitude terrain, the Swiss pine is the symbol of the plant world’s victory over the mineral world. Here it reaches the southern and western limits of its domain, which explains why it is so rare.This stocky tree of 1000 years old, which flowers for the first time when it is 60-70 and then every 6-10 years. The nutcracker, a noisy and careful bird, loves to eat its seeds.

For centuries, the territory of the Haut Verdon valley supported the needs of a large rural population. Trees were cut down to supply wood for heating and for building houses as fires were a regular occurrence.With the ground being trampled, boulders removed, and in the absence of sufficient vegetation cover, erosion by mountain stream became terrible. In the 19th century, awareness of the problem grew and at the end of the century, replanting of trees began in at Ratery. Today, it is a “remarkable forest station, which tree lovers come to visit from miles away”.

The larch forest is illuminated with a carpet of summer flowers: in its calcified soil grows orange lilies or martagon lilies, woodland geraniums and lychnis all sparkle there. In fir and spruce forests, which are dark and damp: a desert of acidic ground spreads between the tree trunks, covered with a thin layer of yellowing needles.

On one side, the great Alpine forest covers the northern face: this is the shadowy side, a cold and damp world. On the other side is warm Provence. A southern slope at the same angle as a northern one receives ten times as much heat. Broom, lavender and Scotch pine envelop walkers in their bewitching scents.