E.M. Heckel Botanical Garden

A little history

It was only in the 19th century that botanical gardens became public pleasure gardens, then called "Jardins des plantes". The first botanical garden of Marseille was created by King René, near the Saint-Victor abbey.

In 1802, a second garden was inaugurated in the Chartreux district, with Empress Josephine as its godmother. Thanks to its director, M. Gouffé-Lacour, it became very famous. Unfortunately, this garden, located on the axis of the Marseille-Toulon railroad, disappeared in 1856. In exchange, the director of the Lyon-Méditerranée railway company offered the city the land of Parc Borély.

In 1880, the Botanical Garden was moved to the current rose garden in Parc Borely. The Buhler brothers then imagined a true botanical garden. Dr. Heckel, who supervised the creation of the park, quickly judged it to be too small and tried to acquire the Fournier property, adjacent to the park.
In 1913, the City of Marseille bought the land to create the new botanical garden. It was inaugurated in 1918 on its current site.

Today, the Botanical Garden covers 1.2 hectares and presents about 3,000 different plant species from five continents, presented in nine thematic areas: Japanese, Chinese, Mediterranean, climbing plants, succulents, medicinal plants, vegetable garden, palmetum and South African greenhouse. A true "museum of life", the botanical garden offers a real journey of discovery, fun, sensory and unusual.

Since April 2016, this biodiversity garden has also been home to the first large insect hotel in the city of Marseille.

Visit the gardens:

The Chinese Garden

Inaugurated in 2004 in the respect of Chinese traditions, this garden is the result of the collaboration between Marseille and Shanghai in the framework of the twinning of the two cities.
This traditional garden aims to recreate the image of an ideal nature. It is articulated around a pavilion, a kiosk and a pond in which Koi carp are evolving.

The Japanese Garden

Inaugurated in 2011, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Kobe-Marseille twinning. It is realized in the style "Chisen kai yu shiki" ("garden of walk around a pond") style very representative of Japanese gardens. This garden is meant to be a place of relaxation and serenity. It has all the elements of the traditional Japanese garden (Kare-sansui, tea pavilion, pond, rocks, water course...). Its vegetation is composed of about 20 different species of trees and more than 100 species of shrubs and perennials, all native to Japan.

It represents a place of contemplation and meditation. Every year in October, it hosts the "Autumn Festival" in collaboration with the Japanese Consulate.

The Garden of Medicinal Plants

Inspired by the Jardin des Simples of the Middle Ages, it presents local plants with medicinal virtues used by man or the pharmaceutical industry. They are presented by theme, according to their curative effect: digestion, skin, nervous system...

Plants of South Africa

South Africa offers the greatest plant biodiversity on the planet.
The garden shelters about 300 species from this vast country with its varied climates and reliefs, in outdoor flowerbeds and the greenhouse presents many succulent plants, typical of desert areas.

Climbing plants

Created in 1980, this pergola garden includes nearly 100 plant species from the five continents and adapted to our climate.

The Garden of succulent plants

Within a contemporary layout, this garden is mainly composed of about fifty species of agaves that can withstand the Mediterranean climate. The most frigid ones are grouped together in a tunnel greenhouse with other cacti of collection.

The Palmetum

It features about sixty species of palm trees that can adapt to our climate, from all regions of the world.

The Mediterranean Garden

This dry garden gathers plants from the Mediterranean basin or other regions of the world, whose climate is comparable to that of Marseille. It is composed of an area of terraces and a rocky area with a pond and a waterfall.

The vegetable garden

The garden presents a selection of botanical vegetables from different parts of the world that grow in a temperate climate.


Practical information

In order to protect the species presented and to encourage a serene and peaceful visit, free visits are subject to registration.

New in 2022 !

Would you like to know more about the flora present and follow a tour with a guide? Would you like to register for a workshop? Registration is now done online.

Registration and calendar: https://www.marseille.fr/environnement/jardin-botanique

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