Jardin des Plantes

Created with the aim of cultivating and conserving medicinal plants, this true botanical garden, with an immense diversity of flowers and shrubs, is part of the National Museum of Natural History, which also houses a small zoo, several galleries and some greenhouses.

Aware that the future of humanity depends on the responsibility we have towards the ecosystems of the protection of the world's biodiversity, the Jardin des Plantes is one of those admirable and respectable places that contains one of the most complete and preserved collections of species in the world.

Inside the garden, the School of Botany involves students, who recreate favorable conditions in projects to maintain this biodiversity and disseminate knowledge about the interdependence between living beings and the environment.

The Garden deviates a little from the traditional tourist route, but it is an excellent tour, even for children. It is mostly frequented by residents and students from the Latin Quarter region.

The four greenhouses:

Greenhouse “Winter Garden”, which recreates the hot and humid climate of humid tropical forests, with palms, banana trees and vines.

Mexican greenhouse, with cacti, species of coffee and peppers.

Greenhouse with wild plants characteristic of Australia and New Caledonia.

Paleobotanical greenhouse, which is of historical interest as it describes the development of terrestrial flora since its appearance over 400 million years ago.

The Zoo (La Ménagerie)

It is one of the oldest in the world, created in 1793, with animals transferred from the Versailles Zoo.

Despite having been, in the past, home to giraffes, elephants and bears, today it is a nest for small and medium-sized species (some not very well known), since large species would need larger spaces and adequate facilities.

The main gardens:

Rose garden, with different subspecies of roses - a dazzle for eyes and smell.

Alpine garden, with shrubs and plants from mountainous regions such as Himalayas and Alps.

Ecological garden, with wild plants, where human intervention is minimal.

There is a labyrinth in the garden, in which you walk along uneven paths, where the cedar of Lebanon reigns. At the top of this labyrinth is a small bronze construction (gazebo Buffon), which dates from 1788.

The Mineralogy Gallery exhibits, at its entrance, a large quartz crystal, from Vitória da Conquista, Bahia.

The Paleontology Gallery is also impressive. It's like stepping back in time in front of so many skeletons and old furniture.

The Grande Galerie de l'Évolution pleases adults and children alike.

Several statues are found along the way, adorning gardens and galleries.

Monument to Jean-Baptiste de Lamarck. Leon Fagel, (1909)

The Natural History Museum houses hundreds of mammals, birds, reptiles, fish and amphibians, stuffed or preserved, which are on display and show the expansion of the animal world in a beautiful building, a true architectural treasure.

The buildings in the gardens have been classified as historical monuments since 1993.

On the Jardin des Plantes website, you can see all the varieties of planted species, the location map of each species within the garden and the flowering season of each one.