Jardin des plantes de Montpellier
Encyclopedia
The Jardin des plantes de Montpellier (4.5 hectares) is a historic botanical garden
and arboretum
located on Boulevard Henri IV, Montpellier
, Hérault
, Languedoc-Roussillon
, France
. It is maintained by the Université Montpellier 1 and open afternoons daily except Monday; admission is free.
The garden was established in 1593 by letters patent from King Henri IV
, under the leadership of Pierre Richer de Belleval
, professor of botany
and anatomy
. It is France's oldest botanical garden, inspired by the Orto botanico di Padova (1545) and in turn serving as model for the Jardin des Plantes de Paris (1626).
The Montagne de Richer lies within the garden's oldest section, which also now contains a systematic garden. The garden was expanded twice in the 19th century. Its orangery
was designed by Claude-Mathieu Delagardette (1762–1805) and completed in 1804, the arboretum was landscaped in 1810, and the English Garden, with pool and greenhouse, dates from 1859. The monumental Martins greenhouse opened in 1860.
Today the garden contains about 2,680 plant species
, including 500 native to the Mediterranean region. Of these roughly 2,000 species are grown outdoors, and 1,000 under glass. Major sections of the garden are as follows:
Botanical garden
A botanical garden The terms botanic and botanical, and garden or gardens are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word botanic is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is a well-tended area displaying a wide range of plants labelled with their botanical names...
and arboretum
Arboretum
An arboretum in a narrow sense is a collection of trees only. Related collections include a fruticetum , and a viticetum, a collection of vines. More commonly, today, an arboretum is a botanical garden containing living collections of woody plants intended at least partly for scientific study...
located on Boulevard Henri IV, Montpellier
Montpellier
-Neighbourhoods:Since 2001, Montpellier has been divided into seven official neighbourhoods, themselves divided into sub-neighbourhoods. Each of them possesses a neighbourhood council....
, Hérault
Hérault
Hérault is a department in the south of France named after the Hérault river.-History:Hérault is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790...
, Languedoc-Roussillon
Languedoc-Roussillon
Languedoc-Roussillon is one of the 27 regions of France. It comprises five departments, and borders the other French regions of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Rhône-Alpes, Auvergne, Midi-Pyrénées on the one side, and Spain, Andorra and the Mediterranean sea on the other side.-Geography:The region is...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. It is maintained by the Université Montpellier 1 and open afternoons daily except Monday; admission is free.
The garden was established in 1593 by letters patent from King Henri IV
Henry IV of France
Henry IV , Henri-Quatre, was King of France from 1589 to 1610 and King of Navarre from 1572 to 1610. He was the first monarch of the Bourbon branch of the Capetian dynasty in France....
, under the leadership of Pierre Richer de Belleval
Pierre Richer de Belleval
Pierre Richer de Belleval , was a French botanist. He is considered the father of scientific botany.Richer de Belleval was born in Châlons-en-Champagne. His father was N. Richer or Richier. He first went to Montpellier to study medicine in 1584, but ended up receiving his MD from Avignon in 1587...
, professor of botany
Botany
Botany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...
and anatomy
Anatomy
Anatomy is a branch of biology and medicine that is the consideration of the structure of living things. It is a general term that includes human anatomy, animal anatomy , and plant anatomy...
. It is France's oldest botanical garden, inspired by the Orto botanico di Padova (1545) and in turn serving as model for the Jardin des Plantes de Paris (1626).
The Montagne de Richer lies within the garden's oldest section, which also now contains a systematic garden. The garden was expanded twice in the 19th century. Its orangery
Orangery
An orangery was a building in the grounds of fashionable residences from the 17th to the 19th centuries and given a classicising architectural form. The orangery was similar to a greenhouse or conservatory...
was designed by Claude-Mathieu Delagardette (1762–1805) and completed in 1804, the arboretum was landscaped in 1810, and the English Garden, with pool and greenhouse, dates from 1859. The monumental Martins greenhouse opened in 1860.
Today the garden contains about 2,680 plant species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
, including 500 native to the Mediterranean region. Of these roughly 2,000 species are grown outdoors, and 1,000 under glass. Major sections of the garden are as follows:
- Montagne de Richer - a CistaceaeCistaceaeThe Cistaceae is a small family of plants known for its beautiful shrubs, which are profusely covered by flowers at the time of blossom...
collection
- Systematic garden - plants classified according to the Bentham & Hooker systemBentham & Hooker systemAn early taxonomic system, the Bentham & Hooker system for seed plants was published in :The system recognises the following main groups:*DICOTYLEDONUM POLYPETALARUM*: Series 1. THALAMIFLORÆ*: Series 2. DISCIFLORÆ*: Series 3. CALYCIFLORÆ...
, 1883, complemented by Elias DurandElias DurandElias Durand , born Élie Magloire Durand, was an eminent American pharmacist and botanist born in France....
, 1887.
- Medicinal plants - about 250 plants of traditional Mediterranean medicines and herbs
- Succulents - about 50 species
- Orangery and cold greenhouse - about 110 species
- Palm trees - 9 varieties, including Brahea armataBrahea armataBrahea armata, commonly known as Mexican blue palm or "blue hesper palm", is a palm is native to Baja California. It is widely planted as an ornamental....
and Butia capitataButia capitataButia capitata, also known as Pindo Palm or Jelly Palm, is a palm native to Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay.This palm grows up to 6m in a slow but steady manner...
.
- Arboretum - Fine mature specimens including Acer neapolitanum, Celtis sinensisCeltis sinensisCeltis sinensis is a species of flowering plant in the hemp family, Cannabaceae, that is native to slopes in East Asia.- Description :...
, Cinnamomum camphora, Cupressus govenianaCupressus govenianaCupressus goveniana is a species of cypress endemic to coastal California in the United States, where it is found in small, scattered populations, not in large forests.-Description:...
, Cupressus macrocarpaCupressus macrocarpaCupressus macrocarpa, commonly known as Monterey Cypress or Macrocarpa, is a species of cypress that is endemic to the Central Coast of California. In the wild, the species is confined to two small populations, near Monterey and Carmel, California. These two small populations represent what was...
, Cupressus sempervirensCupressus sempervirensCupressus sempervirens, the Mediterranean Cypress is a species of cypress native to the eastern Mediterranean region, in northeast Libya, southeast Greece , southern Turkey, Cyprus, Northern Egypt, western Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Malta, Italy, western Jordan, and also a disjunct population in...
, Quercus calliprinos, Quercus coccifera, and Zelkova serrataZelkova serrataZelkova serrata is a species of Zelkova native to Japan, Korea, eastern China, and Taiwan. It is often grown as an ornamental tree, and used in bonsai.-Description:...
. The male Gingko biloba, planted in the late 18th century, is particularly noteworthy.
- Greenhouse - 423 species in three rooms, including a tropical room with large central basin for aquatic plantAquatic plantAquatic plants are plants that have adapted to living in aquatic environments. They are also referred to as hydrophytes or aquatic macrophytes. These plants require special adaptations for living submerged in water, or at the water's surface. Aquatic plants can only grow in water or in soil that is...
s, and two temperate rooms. Of interest are the collections of fernFernA fern is any one of a group of about 12,000 species of plants belonging to the botanical group known as Pteridophyta. Unlike mosses, they have xylem and phloem . They have stems, leaves, and roots like other vascular plants...
s, BromeliaceaeBromeliaceaeBromeliaceae is a family of monocot flowering plants of around 3,170 species native mainly to the tropical Americas, with a few species found in the American subtropics and one in tropical west Africa, Pitcairnia feliciana...
, and OrchidaceaeOrchidaceaeThe Orchidaceae, commonly referred to as the orchid family, is a morphologically diverse and widespread family of monocots in the order Asparagales. Along with the Asteraceae, it is one of the two largest families of flowering plants, with between 21,950 and 26,049 currently accepted species,...
, with good collections from French GuianaFrench GuianaFrench Guiana is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department located on the northern Atlantic coast of South America. It has borders with two nations, Brazil to the east and south, and Suriname to the west...
.
- Naturalized plants - including Delphinium requienii, Fumaria bicolor, Fumaria kralikii, Linaria reflexa, Modiola carolinianaModiola carolinianaModiola is a monotypic genus of plants in the mallow family containing the single species Modiola caroliniana, which is known by several common names, including Carolina bristlemallow, babosilla, and redflower mallow...
, Salpichroa origanifoliaSalpichroa origanifoliaSalpichroa origanifolia is a species of flowering plant in the nightshade family known by the common name Pampas lily of the valley. It is native to South America...
, Symphytum orientale, and Stipa trichotoma.
See also
- Jardin botanique de Saint XistJardin botanique de Saint XistThe Jardin botanique de Saint Xist is a botanical garden located in Le Clapier, Aveyron, Midi-Pyrénées, France. It is open weekends without charge in the warmer months....
, an affiliate garden - List of botanical gardens in France