Jardin des Plantes

The Jardin des Plantes is the main botanical garden in France. It is one of seven departments of the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle. It is on the left bank of the river Seine and covers 28 hectares (280,000 m²). There is a school there that trains people to be botanists respecting biodiversity. There is a zoo in the Jardin that was started during the French Revolution from the animals at Versailles. The garden was started in 1626. It was used in 1640 to grow medicinal herbs for the king. Among directors, Comte de Buffon expanded it greatly. Jean-Baptiste de Lamarck, Chair of Botany, changed its name from Jardin du Roi to Jardin des Plantes during the French Revolution. It helped not to have the name linked to the king. Gallery Other websites Official site Archived 2013-11-26 at the Wayback Machine (in French)