Lavender fields at the foot of the Puy-de-Dôme: in Auvergne, the aromatic plant is taking over the land

2024-07-14 12:27:21

Halfway between Le Cheix-sur-Morge and Sardon (Puy-de-Dôme), along a bucolic country road, a strange smell suddenly filled the atmosphere. At the tip of a grove stands a beautiful place that looks like the Drôme Provençale. Lavender in Auvergne? For many, the idea seems counterintuitive. However, more and more grain growers are turning some of their plans to the production of sweet crops.

Between global warming which is allowing some southern endemic species to develop further north, and the differing interests of some farmers, the little purple plant is on the rise.