The Jardin Exotique & Botanique de Roscoff is managed by the Groupement Roscovite des Amateurs de Plantes Exotiques et Subtropicales (G.R.A.P.E.S), a non-profit association with 7 employees.
Created in 1986 on the initiative of Louis Kerdilès and Daniel Person, the garden now covers 1.6 ha, but looks much larger thanks to an original design by Alain Le Goff.
The Garden presentsone of the largest collections of southern plants grown outdoors in our climate (over 3,500 species): mainly plants from South Africa, Oceania, South America, the Canary Islands, Madeira and Central America.
These plants are not classified by continent, but arranged to form a “natural” landscape. Every year, we introduce new species. We arrange the plants in the garden according to their needs, not their origin, and nature does the rest!
In fact, many plants are not perennials, but can be reseeded abundantly by nature, such as the Canary Echium.
In 2017, we created a vegetable garden where we experiment with growing southern vegetable plants. We are an acclimatization garden in perpetual motion.
Since 2014, a cold greenhouse has housed non-hardy cacti, bulbs and succulents in the ground. The hardiest succulents are planted in rock gardens.
The Garden is bordered on both sides by the sea and bathed by the North Atlantic drift of the Gulf Stream, which gives us a milder microclimate.
In general, temperatures don’t drop below 0°C near the rock, and rarely reach – 5°C at the top of the garden. The garden is divided into small plots by hedges to limit wind action.
The rock, called Roc’h Hievec , on the east side, protects plants from easterly winds and stores heat for release at night. A panoramic view of Morlaix Bay awaits you after climbing the 78 steps !
Although the garden is not divided into geographical zones, the needs of the plants and their geographical origin go hand in hand. For example, the area behind the Rock features many plants from Chile, such as Embotryum coccineum, the Chilean Fire Tree. The beds around the rock are mainly composed of proteaceae from South Africa and Australia. Finally, the fern zone brings together plants mainly from Oceania, such as tree ferns.
You can discover surprising smells by rustling the foliage of fragrant plants in the scent garden.
At the end of your visit, you’ll be able to buy plants from our own nursery near reception.
Click below to access the virtual tour:
Virtual visit of the Roscoff Botanical & Exotic Garden
Our partners
