Les Faux de Verzy

The Faux de Verzy, or twisted beeches, form a forest reserve in the north-east of the Montagne de Reims, south of Reims, in the Marne. There are about a thousand beeches with gnarled trunks and twisted branches, which make up the world's main concentration of this particular form of common beech.

A genetic study carried out between 2018 and 2022 concluded that these trees come from a single mutation affecting their growth, and that they remain close to ordinary neighbouring beeches. Their presence is attested in monastic archives as early as the sixth century. The site has been listed since 1932 and is managed by the Office national des forêts. Some specimens bear names, such as the Parasol, the Bride or the Maiden, in reference to their silhouette. An unverified medieval legend has it that Joan of Arc rested under these trees. A path lets you walk through them in the forest.

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