Arboretum of Chevreloup

France.com

16 years ago

The national ChÃ¨vreloup arboretum is a veritable living museum of the tree, spread over 200 hectares (494 acres). Located a few kilometres from Paris, in the national domain of Versailles, it offers a panorama of tree species from the northern hemisphere.

A place where the tree is king

It's pleasant to stroll in this place of peaceful walks which became part of the Museum in 1922, the time when the architect of the domain of Versailles and the Museum was finalising his project entitled "Le Jardin de Jussieu" (Jussieu's Garden), an annexe of the MusÃ©um national d'Histoire naturelle. Plantings began in 1924. The trees were grouped by family and arranged in alleys or circles.

This original area now finds itself in the current systematic zone, which covers 30 ha (74 acres) of the areas open to visitors. Interrupted between 1936 and 1960, plantings now continue at the rate of several hundred trees a year, following a new scheme of grouping by continent: Europe, Asia and America. For the time being, only the European part is open to the public. The whole site numbers some 12,000 trees, representing 2,500 species. Amongst them, the sequoias, magnificent cedars from the Atlas, maples from all the continents, walnut trees from America, the famous tree of 40 crowns (maidenhair tree) and all the other species with which we are familiar today: oaks, hornbeams, beech trees, sycamores, spruces, etc. This vast domain is easy to visit, thanks to properly laid paths, or can be visited in a more adventurous fashion by crossing grassy zones. With a bit of luck, the visitor might also see some of the animals that live here: some foxes, who are always a little shy, the squirrels (more often), the hosts of the conifers, but most often the wild rabbits, who dig their warrens under the protection of the large trees and make life difficult for the gardeners…

A reference collection for botanists

The arboretum is a favoured place in which to study all the arboricultural species from the northern hemisphere's temperate and cold regions: 217 European species, 37 from the Caucasus, 500 from China, 460 from Japan and Korea, 700 from North America, not to mention the cedars from the Atlas, the pines, the rhododendrons, etc. It forms a scientific reference collection for botanists, geneticists and physiologists who are studying the conditions of development, adaptation of tree species to temperate climates and tree illnesses. It also has a role in conservation, holding 70 endangered species listed by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources). The lime blossoms, spruces and oaks are reference collections registered at the CCVS (French conservatory of specialised plant collections). A horticultural zone, closed to the public, holds what are known as cultivars, in other words plants that do not exist in the wild and which are propagated by grafting, cuttings or layering. Finally, two groups of greenhouses serve to enrich the Museum's collections: the horticultural greenhouses where flowering plants intended decorate the Jardin des Plantes de Paris are cultivated and the botanical greenhouses where part of the Museum's tropical collections is kept.

PRACTICAL INFORMATIONS

Address :

30, route de Versailles 78150 Rocquencourt

Bus :

Ligne B / H depuis les 3 gares de Versailles jusqu'au centre commercial Parly II

ModalitÃ©s de visite :
Individuals : guided tours on saturdays at 3 pm, on wednesdays thematical tours at 2:30 pm (except in july – august) – Groups : vistis all year, guided if wanted, on reservation
AccÃ¨s handicapÃ©s :
Access for disabled public is partial.

SERVICES
General services : Reception desk ; toilets ; first emergencies ; picnic places ; free parking.

RÃ¨glement :
Photos and videos are allowed (without tripod) ; drawing only with an authorisation ; picnic allowed.