Jardin des plantes de Montpellier

It is maintained by the Université Montpellier 1 and open afternoons daily except Monday; admission is free.

The garden was established in 1593 by letters patent from King Henri IV, under the leadership of Pierre Richer de Belleval, professor of botany and anatomy.

It is France's oldest botanical garden, inspired by the Orto botanico di Padova (1545) and in turn serving as model for the jardin des plantes de Paris (1626).

Its orangery was designed by Claude-Mathieu Delagardette (1762–1805) and completed in 1804, the arboretum was landscaped in 1810, and the English Garden, with pool and greenhouse, dates from 1859.

Today the garden contains about 2,680 plant species, including 500 native to the Mediterranean region.