The Plant Garden Paris : Paris Tourism

Timetable: Everyday from 8 a.m. until sunset The plant garden was created under the influence of the work of 16th Century botanists. The apothecary Nicolas Houel created the Christian Charity House with a plant garden in 1577. This was the first French botanic garden. On advice of two of his doctors, King Louis XIII created the garden of medicinal herbs, also known as the “garden of the King”. It became the first garden opened to the public in 1640. Under Louis XIV, the importance of the garden increased as new species from the colonies were protected and developed. As a consequence, the director of the garden (Fagon) ordered greenhouses and a 600-seat amphitheatre for students. The director Buffon (1739-1788), with the help of Tournefort, Jussieu and the Daubenton brothers made an ambitious project of science and extended the garden. The author Bernardin from Saint Pierre stated the place as a National Natural History Museum. One will discover plants and animals by visiting the botanic garden, the menagerie, and to relax one can loose himself in the labyrinth.