The Exotic Garden of Roscoff

Roscoff, France, France

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The Exotic Garden of Roscoff, also called the Jardin Exotique et Botanique de Roscoff, is a 1.6-hectare (16,000 m²) exotic and botanical garden located at Roch'Hievec in Roscoff, North Finistère, Brittany, in northern France, on the coast near the Bay of Morlaix.

Created in 1987 by Daniel Person, a Roscoff hotelier, the garden brings together more than 3,400 to 3,500 species and varieties of subtropical plants from the Southern Hemisphere, making it one of the largest outdoor collections of Austral species and succulents in Europe.

The garden features plants primarily from South Africa (which forms about one third of the collection, including Proteas, geraniums, and Hebe), New Zealand, Australia, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, the Canary Islands, Madeira, the Azores, Mexico (cacti), China (palm trees), Asia, and India, along with hundreds of eucalyptus trees, arborescent ferns, and South African bulbs.

Perched on an 18-meter-high granite rock formation, the garden offers a panoramic viewpoint of the Bay of Morlaix and includes giant rockeries, waterfalls, ponds, fountains, and cascades that create a complete change of scenery with water features bringing freshness. The plants are cultivated without chemical fertilizers in poetic arrangements, and the garden also houses a greenhouse of succulents and cacti, temporary exhibitions, and a play area for children who enjoy the ponds and spring with carp.