Jardin des Plantes, Paris’ Underrated Garden

August 27, 2020

Filed in: Field Guide

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Walking through the Jardin des Plantes in Paris (one of my favorite gardens) at the end of spring/beginning of summer is always a true pleasure. I was feeling a little down because I had missed cherry blossom season in Paris, which I had been greatly anticipating and wanting to photograph on film this year.

Although I did not get the fluffy pink blooms I had been envisioning, I found delights nonetheless. In Paris, it is almost impossible to be disappointed by beauty. Enjoy — my crowning achievement of this roll of film was these yellow flowers. I waited, patiently, for about 10 minutes for the wind to blow just so.

Visiting the Jardin des Plants, Paris

The Paris Botanical Garden

Located in the Latin Quarter, the garden is open from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and closed seasonally from December 1 to March 1. Do not that specific sections of the garden may have their own hours, such as the iris garden, which is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. My personal favorite is the rose garden, which keeps the same hours as the main garden.

Admission is free.

Paris’ Natural History Museum

Beyond the garden, there is quite a bit one can do and see at the Jardin des Plantes, Paris. This includes the natural history museum at the Grande Galerie de l’Évolution, which is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Here, you can discover a catalogue of over 7,000 specimens in the collection, from birds to marine life.

Admission from 7€.

Other Things to Do in the Jardin des Plantes, Paris

The zoo, Galerie de Géologie et de Minéralogie (geology and minerals museum), greenhouses, and paleontology and anatomy museum, and more are all accessible within the Jardin des Plantes. You could easily spend a full day here and finish off with a meal in the Latin Quarter. The Grande Mosquée promises a dining experience you won’t forget!

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a blurry wind-blown photograph of yellow iceland poppies in the jardin des plantes paris

left: the rose garden at the jardin des plantes paris right: notre dame

a lavender bush in the jardin des plantes paris

left: orange tree in the jardin des plantes paris. right: people sitting along the seine

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  1. […] is rife with green spaces, be it parks, gardens, or lawns. You may know a few by the names of Jardin du Luxembourg […]

  2. […] only on my fourth stay in Paris that I discovered the Jardin des Plantes, and I’m sad I didn’t explore it sooner! You really want to be here during the cherry […]

  3. […] is a few minutes’ walk from the Jardin des Plantes (one of my favorite gardens), and is a great way to end a stroll. Exit the garden at the Grande […]

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Paris & California strolls; plenty of flowers; stories; and looking for the beauty in the everyday. I hope you'll come along as I take the year to document the entirety of my home state!

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