Is it legal to pick flowers in forests in France?
The rules depend on whether you are on private or public land, or if a species is protected
It may be tempting to pick spring flowers in France but there are rules on doing so
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As spring approaches, flowers such as lily of the valley and daffodils are beginning to pop up across France - but beware, it is not always legal to pick them.
Whether you can freely pick flowers depends on whether you are walking in a private area or not. Three-quarters of the forest in mainland France is privately owned.
Private: In a private forest, it is forbidden to pick wild flowers, unless you have permission from the owner.
Public: Public forests in France are managed by the Office National des Forêts (ONF). You need permission in theory, but the ONF has said it is tolerant, and allows “family-oriented” picking.
However, even in public forests, there are limits. The ONF states:
People can only pick “what the hand can hold”, which is considered to be around 10-15 stems.
If you pick too many flowers, beyond what you can hold and/or what is considered reasonable for a little at-home bouquet, you can be fined up to €135 under the forestry code (code forestier).
The ONF also stipulates that people should only cut flowers at their stem, and not rip up their bulbs, ensuring that the flowers can grow again.
Protected status
It is always best to check with your mairie on the exact rules in the area. Some areas may have protected species of flowers, or flowers that are at risk from invasive species. These should not be picked, and could even be protected by a prefectural or municipal decree.
Penalties for breaching a decree can be harsh. In the event of an offence, you may be liable to a fine of €150,000 and three years' imprisonment, as stated in article L415-3 of the code de l’Environnement.
More than 400 plants in France have full protection status, which means that it is forbidden to pick them. Some have partial protection, meaning that you need prior authorisation to pick them.
You can find a list of protected species in your region on the DREAL (regional environment department) website for your region. For example, here is the list for Normandy, and this is the list for Nouvelle-Aquitaine.
Find your list by searching “DREAL france espèces protégées liste” and then the name of your region.
You can also search for the flower you are looking for and check whether you can pick it or not, via the national natural heritage inventory, l’Inventaire national du patrimoine naturel.
