Jardin botanique Villa Thuret

Jardin botanique Villa Thuret spreads across three and a half hectares on the grounds of Villa Thuret in Antibes. Labelled plants line a botanical trail through Mediterranean and exotic trees, shrubs, palms, and conifers.

Created in 1857 by botanist and algologist Gustave Thuret, the garden began as a setting for plant acclimatization trials. Jean-Baptiste Édouard Bornet joined those experiments, while George Sand visited in 1868. After Thuret left it to France in 1878, scientific research continued through successive agricultural research institutions. Today, researchers observe how trees and shrubs respond to the Mediterranean climate and global environmental change.

About 2,500 trees and shrubs represent roughly 1,600 exotic species from warm regions worldwide. South Africa, Australia, California, Chile, Mexico, China, Japan, and New Zealand all contribute to this living collection. Each year, 50 to 100 new species join it. Look for thirty palm species, Australian acacias, cypresses, Proteaceae, and a Jubaea spectabilis. Named specimens include Agathis robusta, Cupressus macrocarpa, and Taxodium mucronatum. George Sand called the garden the loveliest she had ever seen after her 1868 visit.