Jardin Botanique INRAE Thuret
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The Villa Thuret Botanical Garden is an experimental garden, managed by INRAE (Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement) and open to the public, intended for the observation of introduced species to study their ability to adapt to Mediterranean conditions and monitor the emergence of new biological invasions.
More than 2,000 individuals for more than 1,000 different species are present.
Between 100 and 200 species are introduced each year, mainly in seed form to limit the risks of biological invasions and to be able to observe the process from germination to planting in the garden.
These species are planted early at the end of the second or third year of cultivation.
Since this is a semi-natural Mediterranean garden with a very reasoned management system: generally very dry between June and September, green between October and May, late mowing (between mid-June and the end of June) is carried out with the aim of promoting biodiversity (plants and insects) and observing wild species.
Also for this purpose, pruning is done minimally and only when necessary (hindrance to visitor passage, dangerous trees, dry branches over paths); in fact, the aim is to respect the natural development of the tree, and to accommodate wildlife in the undergrowth, hollows or among the dry branches.
Irrigation is moderate, limited to young plantations in the first three years; the goals are to conserve water, force new plantations to seek water on their own, and resist drought.
Plant protection treatments, exclusively biological, are nematode-based, against red boll weevil and palmivorous butterflies. Bacillus thuringiensis treatment against boxwood moth is sometimes used (maximum 4 times a year).
Seeds and other plant samples are collected for dissemination to other research institutes, universities, botanical gardens, for scientific and educational (non-commercial) purposes.
The following projects are currently in place:
- capture and monitoring of scolyti (Xylosandrus) (European LIFE SAMFIX program)
- growth monitoring of certain species using dendrometric sensors (Pépipiafs)
- phenological monitoring of certain species
Villa Thuret Botanical Garden has obtained the following cerifications:
- 2007 Monumental Garden
- 2015 Monumental Trees
- 2017 Botanical Gardens of France
- 2018 House of the Illustrious
A bit of history
In 1855, botanist and algologist Gustave Thuret (1817-1875) arrived in Cannes for health reasons; having fallen in love with the Cap d’Antibes, he decided to move there with his assistant Edouard Bornet (1828-1911) and had his villa built there and created a garden that would be dedicated to the acclimatization of exotic plants. In order to introduce thousands of new plants, Thuret networks with other scientists of the time, one of his main suppliers being Joseph Decaisne (1807-1882) of the Museum of Natural History in Paris, so much so that the Thuret garden becomes the “Mediterranean annex” of the Paris garden where plants can be tested in the open air and thus acclimatized.
Between 1857 and 1875, the garden was managed by Gustave Thuret and his friend Edouard Bornet, dealing with, among other things, cyst hybridization and inheritance of genetic characters; they also hosted numerous scientists (Hanbury, Bentham, Hooker etc).
Upon Gustave Thuret’s death, the French state acquired the property following the donation of his sister-in-law Louise Fould, with the aim of continuing the experimental and research activities already begun.
In 1878 a laboratory for theoretical and practical studies in botany was established, directed by Charles Naudin(1815-1899), to whom we owe in particular the introduction of the palm Jubaea chilensis and numerous species of eucalyptus.
At the beginning of the 20th century, his successor, the agronomist Georges Poirault (1858-1936), gave the garden a new impetus by setting up phytopathology laboratories and creating the Agronomic Center of Provence, and Antibes’ first meteorological observatory was installed on the roof of the villa.
In 1946, in the aftermath of the war, the National Institute of Agronomic Research (INRA) is established to improve French agriculture, and the Villa Thuret garden becomes part of it.
The center of Antibes develops from the Villa Thuret and three other settlements located on the “Boulevard du Cap.” The park of the villa is enlarged to accommodate studies on large flower crops (carnation, rose, anemone), plant diseases and biological control.
In 2004, most of INRA’s scientific activities are transferred to Sophia Antipolis, except for the botany group.
To learn more about the history of the garden visit the House of the Illustrious, located on the ground floor of the villa.
Practical information
Address
Unité Expérimentale Villa Thuret, 90 Chemin Raymond, 06160 Antibes Juan-les-Pins – France
Hours
Summer
Monday through Friday 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Winter
Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Closed Saturdays, Sundays and holidays except in special cases
Rates
Free individual admission
Group visits (minimum 10 people) are chargeable and require reservations:
- Free groups without a guide: 4.00 euro TTC per person
- Guided tours (maximum 25 people): 250.00 eruo TTC during the week and 280.00 euro TTC on weekends
Dogs on leashes are allowed.
NEW: ALCOTRA PASS!
VISIT AT LEAST TWO BOTANICAL GARDENS AND GET A 25% DISCOUNT ON THE SECOND GARDEN VISITED AND ON THE THIRD, PAY ONLY THE FIRST GARDEN AT FULL RATE.
HOW. PICK UP THE ALCOTRA NATURE AND CULTURE 2 CARD AT THE TICKET OFFICE OF THE FIRST GARDEN VISITED AND GET A GARDEN STAMP.