Caen Botanical Garden

Caen, France, France

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Caen Botanical Garden, officially known as Jardin des Plantes de Caen or Jardin botanique de Caen, is a 3.5-hectare botanical garden and arboretum located at 5 place Blot in the heart of Caen, Calvados, Normandy, France.

Founded in 1689 by Jean-Baptiste Callard de la Ducquerie, making it one of France's first botanical gardens and Caen's oldest park (originally 5,000 m² on an old stone quarry site, then expanded by 3.5 hectares in 1803 after the French Revolution), the garden is now designed by architect Dufour and laid out by Herment. 

Today it houses more than 8,000 plant species arranged in two sections: the lower section features native Normandy plants (about 1,000 species), a medicinal garden (600 plants), horticultural collections (700 varieties), rockeries with 1,500 dwarf specimens, an arboretum of trees and shrubs (500 species), and a greenhouse with about 1,500 exotic species, while the upper section is a public park containing remarkable tree specimens including a Sophora japonica from 1750, Sequoiadendron giganteum from 1890, and Cryptomeria japonica from 1870.

The garden holds official labels including "Botanical Garden of France and French-speaking countries" (awarded in 1997) and "Remarkable Garden," serving as a true plant museum for conservation, education, and raising awareness about eco-gardening and environmental respect. Admission is completely free for everyone, and the garden is open Monday to Friday from 8:00 am, and weekends and public holidays from 10:00 am, with closing times varying seasonally from 17:30 (November-February) to 19:30 (May-August), and includes a children's play area, picnic tables, outdoor games, and bicycle parking for visitors.