Arboretum de Chocha, France

Michel Duhart

Published May 2022 in International Oaks No. 33: 117–126

Introduction

I have always been drawn to trees. I remember planting a Quercus rubra in my family’s garden when I was five years old. Now it’s huge!

In 1975, I came into the possession of a plot of land on the outskirts of Ustaritz in the French Basque Country where I could create a small arboretum. The plot’s dimensions, orientation and composition were a rather good match for my projects: three hectares along a north-south slope with moderately acidic soil (pH 5-6). Vegetation in the Basque Country enjoys a fairly favorable climate with relatively mild winters, bright sunshine and lots of it, and high annual rainfall (approximately 1,500 mm per year).