Square René Viviani, Paris

Square René Viviani is a small urban park in Paris, named for René Viviani. Léon Azéma is its architect. Its remarkable feature is a living tree with a documented history reaching back to around 1601: Jean Robin planted this black locust, a North American tree, while serving as the royal herbalist.

The species’ botanical name, Robinia, honours Robin through Linnaeus’s later naming of the genus. Age has curved the trunk, and lightning once struck it; concrete props now support it. A woven chestnut ring added in 2010 shields the roots and also serves as a bench.

The tree still flowers every spring. Notice the trunk’s bent form and the ring’s woven texture: together they make the square feel intimate, while the tree carries a remarkable connection between Parisian gardening and botanical science.