The Fleuriste municipal (municipal flower nursery), built in 1898, houses many collections of tropical plants – among them, at the heart of the hothouses, the begonia collection.
The collection dates back a long way: it existed even before the Auteuil greenhouses were built, when the City of Paris’s horticultural production was still at the Porte de la Muette. At that time there was already a collection of Begoniaceae, as reported by the newspaper Le Constitutionnel in July 1892: “ Besides the azalea collection… there is a collection of several hundred camellias which is absolutely marvellous; another of palms, no less beautiful; then ficus, ferns and Begoniaceae of the greatest beauty”. Begonias have therefore been present in Paris since the 19th century – at first for floral decoration and then, many years later, to preserve a plant heritage within the Botanical Garden.
In the hothouses the collection is split in two: in a first 300 m² greenhouse, the botanical species arranged by continent, and in a second greenhouse, the hybrids, including a collection of cultivars of Begonia rex approved as a “national collection” by the CCVS (Conservatoire des Collections Végétales Spécialisées). Both glasshouses have a humid tropical climate, averaging 20 to 25°C with about 80% humidity, regulated by automatic vents and shading. The plants are mainly grown in clay pots in a mix of peat and perlite, with a few exceptions for more delicate plants. Other supports are also used, such as cork slabs, hanging baskets and terrariums. There is also an in-ground planting of Asian and American species.
The collection is currently undergoing a major renovation lasting several months, but it still displays interesting plants such as Begonia amphioxus and Begonia rajah, small, brightly coloured terrarium species. And also Begonia x ‘Bettina Rothschild’, one of the first hybrids of Begonia rex, raised by the City of Paris in 1866.
Informations pratiques
The garden is open free of charge every day of the year from 9 am to 8 pm (hours vary with the seasons), and the greenhouses from 9 am to 4:30 pm.
Jardin des serres d’Auteuil, 1 avenue Gordon-Bennett, 75016 Paris.
Metro line 10, “Porte d’Auteuil” station, and bus 123, “Stade Roland Garros” stop
Collection manager : Lionel Faure = 01.40.71.75.59.
