Immerse yourself in the Monédières arboretum: how do trees survive winter?

At the start of spring, it’s always the same wonder: the spectacle of buds bursting into leaves and flowers. Such is the magic of the seasons, year after year. When you stay in our unusual village in the Monédières region of the Corrèze, you’ll have a front-row seat for all this renewal. Our unusual village lies at the heart of an arboretum, and more specifically the orchard part of it.

Let’s take a closer look at what’s going on in trees during the period when they seem to be asleep, almost lifeless: winter.

Tree dormancy

During winter, trees plunge into the phenomenon scientists call Dormancy. From the start of autumn, they sink into a certain somnolence. This is the tree’s way of protecting itself from the coming cold. Its main aim is to protect its buds, to give itself every chance of growing again as soon as weather conditions permit.

The^1st phase is paradormancy, which lasts until the end of October, before the tree enters endodormancy, when it stops growing altogether. To protect itself against the cold of winter, the tree needs to start early, so as not to be caught unprepared.

But make no mistake, just because a tree is dormant doesn’t mean it’s not working!

Fighting the cold

The tree may look frozen, but it’s not really asleep. Sap no longer circulates, as a protective mechanism, but other phenomena are put in place to give the tree every chance of protecting itself from frost. Everywhere in the tree, from the roots to the crown, in the buds, in every twig, the tree maintains the biological mechanisms it needs to survive. These include respiration, and for evergreen trees, root growth, photosynthesis and respiration.

To combat the cold, trees “harden” to protect their young cells from frost.

And repairs

During winter, as well as protecting themselves from the cold, trees are busy repairing the damage they have sustained.

The tree repairs its sap-carrying vessels and creates new ones. This will enable the sap to flow smoothly upwards, triggering a new life cycle of budding, leaf blossoming, fruit and flower production.

Discover the Monédières arboretum

Our unusual Slowmoov village is located in the heart of the arboretum in the commune of Chamberet in the Corrèze department. This is your chance to find out more about trees and their incredible lives. The Maison de l’Arbre et de la Nature offers activities, sensory games, workshops and exhibitions. You can, for example, observe the inside of a glass beehive, or follow the transformation of an apple into cider, and much more.

The 18-hectare Maison de l’Arbre et de la Nature features an interpretation trail, a wildlife garden and a deer park.

The Chamberet arboretum boasts 100 different species, both native and exotic, and a fruit garden with 76 different varieties of apple.

Book your stay in unusual accommodation in the heart of the arboretum : Le Village des Monédières in Chamberet (19)