The botanical garden of the Faculty of Pharmacy: a secret botanical treasure to be visited without delay

Just a stone's throw from the Jardin du Luxembourg lies a little-known green gem: the botanical garden of the Faculty of Pharmacy. From spring to autumn, this confidential corner of greenery opens its doors to the curious for guided tours that are as instructive as they are exotic.

Paris's least-known hidden garden

In need of a breath of green air in the heart of Paris, without going all the way to the forest? Follow us off the beaten track to the 6th arrondissement, between the Jardin du Luxembourg and the Musée Zadkine, for a getaway that's as confidential as it is chlorophyllous. We're talking about the botanical garden of the Faculty of Pharmacy - a leafy haven tucked away behind the university walls, which you'd never suspect when you walk past. And yet, it's a must-see in your seasonal diary.

A bit of history to set the scene

The garden took root in 1882, when theÉcole Supérieure de Pharmacie moved to the former Chartreux convent grounds. Two years later, Professor Léon Guignard gave the place its structure: educational flowerbeds, basins for aquatic plants, a coniferous zone... and greenhouses from the Eiffel workshops. At the time, the garden covered 8,000 m². It remained on this grand scale until 1964, when it underwent (serious) pruning to accommodate the construction of the botanical pavilion and new buildings. Its surface area was then halved.

An open-air classroom

Today, 4,000 m2 of well-trimmed grounds serve as an open-air classroom for future pharmacists, and are still home to an impressive diversity of plants, constantly evolving thanks to the regular introduction of new species useful for teaching and research. Here, we learn to distinguish between plants that heal, those that perfume and those that are best left uninfused.

Under century-old trees, you can stroll among medicinal, aromatic, toxic and perfumed plants. The greenhouses, faithfully renovated between 2000 and 2001, house a mini-format jungle: cacti, ferns, tropicals and other stars of photosynthesis thrive under glass.

How to visit this insider's garden?

Guided tours with commentary are offered from spring to autumn, in small groups, by teachers from the Pharmacognosy and Plant Biology Department. Simply send a request at least 15 days in advance to jardin.botanique.pharma@u-paris.fr. Dates are fixed according to the department's availability, and a financial contribution is required.

Between secret gardens, ancient knowledge and plant escapades, this is the walk you urgently need to include in your urban herbarium. It's a must-try to clear your head... and perhaps spark an unsuspected passion!