The Bambouseraie de Prafrance (34 hectares, 84 acres) is a private

botanical garden A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens, an ...

specializing in

bamboo Bamboos are a diverse group of evergreen perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family. The origin of the word "bamboo" is uncertain, bu ...

s, located in

Générargues Générargues (; oc, Generargues) is a commune in the Gard department in southern France, around 10 km southwest of Alès. Geography Climate Générargues has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification ''Csa''). ...

, near

Anduze Anduze (; oc, Andusa) is a commune in the Gard department in southern France.Anduze", Encyclopædia Britannica, 9th ed., Vol. II, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1878, p. 24 . The village is at the foot of the Cevennes range, in the limestone ...

Gard Gard () is a department in Southern France, located in the region of Occitanie. It had a population of 748,437 as of 2019;Languedoc-Roussillon Languedoc-Roussillon (; oc, Lengadòc-Rosselhon ; ca, Llenguadoc-Rosselló) is a former administrative region of France. On 1 January 2016, it joined with the region of Midi-Pyrénées to become Occitania. It comprised five departments, and ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. It is open daily in the warmer months; an admission fee is charged. The garden contains one of

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

's oldest

collections, established in 1856 by amateur botanist Eugène Mazel (1828-1890), who had made his fortune in the spice trade, and who continued to build the collection until he encountered financial problems in 1890. Although the garden subsequently changed ownership several times, it has continued to be a showcase for bamboos, and today contains around 300 bamboo

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

and

cultivar A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture, ...

s, as well as other plantings of Asiatic shrubs and trees, ''

Ginkgo biloba ''Ginkgo biloba'', commonly known as ginkgo or gingko ( ), also known as the maidenhair tree, is a species of tree native to China. It is the last living species in the order Ginkgoales, which first appeared over 290 million years ago. Fossils ...

'', sequoia, ''

Trachycarpus fortunei ''Trachycarpus fortunei'', the Chinese windmill palm, windmill palm or Chusan palm, is a species of hardy evergreen palm tree in the family Arecaceae, native to parts of China, Japan, Myanmar and India. Description Growing to tall, ''Trachyca ...

'', a replica of a Laotian village, and some 5 km of water canals.

Bamboo collections

* Miniature bamboos (10–15 cm.) - '' Pleioblastus distichus'', ''

Pleioblastus fortunei ''Pleioblastus fortunei'' is a species of bamboo in the family Poaceae. It is native to central and southern Japan, and has been introduced to southeast China, the North and South Islands of New Zealand, Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Co ...

'', '' Pleioblastus pumilus'', '' Pleioblastus pygmaeus'', '' Pleioblastus viridistriatus'', '' Pleioblastus viridistriatus "Chrysophyllus"'', '' Pleioblastus viridistriatuss "Vagans"'', '' Sasa admirabilis'', '' Sasa masamuneana "Albostriata"'', '' Sasa masamuneana "Aureostriata"'', and ''

Shibataea Kumasaca ''Shibataea kumasaca'' (倭竹), the ruscus-leaf bamboo or ruscus bamboo, is a species of flowering plant in the grass family, native to mountain slopes in Fujian and Zhejiang provinces in China, and widely cultivated elsewhere. Growing to tall, ...

''. * Small bamboos (1–3 meters) - '' Bambusa multiplex "Elegans"'', '' Chimonobambusa marmorea'', '' Chimonobambusa marmorea "Variegata"'', '' Fargesia murielae'', '' Fargesia murielae "Harewood"'', '' Fargesia murielae "Jumbo"'', '' F. murielae "Simba"'', '' Fargesia nitida'', '' Fargesia robusta'', '' Hibanobambusa tranquillans "Shiroshima"'', '' Pleioblastus chino "Elegantissimus"'', '' Pleioblastus shibuyanus "Tsuboï"'', '' Sasa latifolia'', '' Sasa palmata "Nebulosa"'', '' Sasa tessellata'', '' Sasa tsuboiana'', ''

Sasa veitchii is a species of flowering plant in the genus '' Sasa'', in the Poaceae family. Description ''Sasa veitchii'' is a large species of bamboo grass which may reach a height of 1-2m, with leaves about 20cm in length and 4-5cm in width. Young leaves ...

'', and ''

Sinobambusa rubroligula ''Sinobambusa'' is a genus of East Asian bamboo in the grass family.Clayton, W.D., Harman, K.T. & Williamson, H. (2006). World Grass Species – Synonymy database. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. It is native to China and ...

''. * Medium bamboos (3–8 meters) - '' Arundinaria kunishii'', '' Arundinaria anceps'', '' Bambusa multiplex'', '' Bambusa multiplex "Alphonse Karr"'', '' Bambusa multiplex "Golden goddess"'', '' Bambusa ventricosa'', '' Bambusa ventricosa "Kimmei"'', '' Chimonobambusa quadrangularis'', '' Chimonobambusa quadrangularis "Tatejima"'', '' Chimonobambusa tumidissinoda'', '' Chusquea coronalis'', '' Hibanobambusa tranquillans'', ''

Himalayacalamus asper ''Himalayacalamus asper '' is a species of flowering plant in the family Poaceae found in Nepal Nepal (; ne, :ne:नेपाल, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne, सङ्घीय लोक ...

'', ''

Otatea acuminata The Mexican weeping bamboo, ''Otatea acuminata'', is a clumping bamboo native to central and southern Mexico and Central America. The plant produces thick stands of culms with long narrow leaves. The weight of the leaves cause the long thin cu ...

'', '' Phyllostachys arcana "Luteosulcata"'', ''

Phyllostachys aurea ''Phyllostachys aurea'' is a species of bamboo, and is of the 'running bamboo' type, belonging to the diverse Bambuseae tribe. It is native to Fujian and Zhejiang in China. It is commonly known by the names fishpole bamboo, golden bamboo, monk's ...

'', '' Phyllostachys aurea "Flavescens inversa"'', '' Phyllostachys aurea "Holochrysa"'', '' Phyllostachys aurea "Koi"'', ''

Phyllostachys aureosulcata ''Phyllostachys aureosulcata'', the yellow groove bamboo, is a species of bamboo native to the Zhejiang Province of China. It is a running bamboo with a distinctive yellow stripe in the culm groove (or sulcus) that is often grown as an ornam ...

'', '' Phyllostachys aureosulcata "Aureocaulis"'', '' Phyllostachys aureosulcata "Spectabilis"'', '' Phyllostachys bambusoides "Marliacea"'', '' Phyllostachys bambusoides "Subvariegata"'', ''

Phyllostachys bissetii ''Phyllostachys bissetii'' is a species of bamboo found in Sichuan, Zhejiang provinces of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a populati ...

'', ''

Phyllostachys dulcis ''Phyllostachys dulcis'' is a species of bamboo found in Fujian, Jiangsu, Zhejiang provinces of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a p ...

'', ''

Phyllostachys flexuosa ''Phyllostachys'' () is a genus of Asian bamboo in the grass family. Many of the species are found in central and southern China, with a few species in northern Indochina and in the Himalayas. Some of the species have become naturalized in par ...

'', ''

Phyllostachys glauca ''Phyllostachys glauca'' is a species of bamboo found in Anhui, Henan, Hunan, Jiangsu, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Yunnan, Zhejiang provinces of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It ...

'', '' Phyllostachys heteroclada'', '' Phyllostachys humilis'', '' Phyllostachys manii'', '' Phyllostachys meyeri'', '' Phyllostachys nidularia'', ''

Phyllostachys nigra ''Phyllostachys nigra'', common name, commonly known as black bamboo or purple bamboo ( zh, 紫竹), is a species of bamboo, native plant, native to Hunan, Hunan Province of China, and is widely cultivated elsewhere. Growing up to tall by broa ...

'', '' Phyllostachys nuda'', '' Phyllostachys nuda "Localis"'', '' Phyllostachys pubescens "Heterocycla"'', '' Phyllostachys praecox'', '' Phyllostachys praecox "Viridisulcata"'', '' Phyllostachys proprinqua'', '' Phyllostachys rubromarginata'', ''

Pleioblastus gramineus ''Pleioblastus'' is an East Asian genus of monopodial bamboos in the grass family Poaceae. They are native to China and Japan, and naturalized in scattered places in Korea, Europe, New Zealand, and the Western Hemisphere. The plant spreads by vi ...

'', '' Pleioblastus hindsii'', '' Pleioblastus linearis'', ''

Pseudosasa amabilis ''Pseudosasa'' is a genus of East Asian bamboo in the grass family. These species are small to medium running plants, usually with one branch at a node. Its name comes from its resemblance to the genus '' Sasa''. The species are native to China, ...

'', ''

Pseudosasa japonica ''Pseudosasa japonica'', the arrow bamboo or ''metake'', is a species of flowering plant in the grass family Poaceae, native to Japan and Korea. This vigorous bamboo forms thickets up to tall with shiny leaves up to long. The culms are typical ...

'', '' Pseudosasa japonica "Variegata"'', '' Pseudosasa japonica "Tsutsumiana"'', ''

Semiarundinaria fastuosa ''Semiarundinaria fastuosa'', the Narihira bamboo, Narihira cane or Narihiradake, is a species of flowering plant in the grass family Poaceae, native to Japan. Growing to tall by broad, it is a vigorous, evergreen bamboo with dark green cylindr ...

'', '' Semiarundinaria makinoi'', '' Semiarundinaria okuboi'', '' Semiarundinaria yashadake "Kimmei"'', '' Sinobambusa tootsik'', '' Sinobambusa tootsik "Albovariegata"'', and ''

Thamnocalamus tessellatus ''Thamnocalamus tessellatus'' is a species of bamboo belonging to the family Poaceae, and native to the high mountains of South Africa, Lesotho and Eswatini, lying along the south-eastern part of South Africa. It is found in the Amatola Mountain ...

''. * Giant bamboos (8–28 meters) - '' Bambusa arundinacea'', ''

Bambusa oldhamii ''Bambusa oldhamii'', known as giant timber bamboo or Oldham's bamboo, is a large species of bamboo. It is the most common and widely grown bamboo in the United States and has been introduced into cultivation around the world. It is densely foli ...

'', ''

Bambusa textilis ''Bambusa textilis'', also known as slender bamboo, clumping bamboo and weaver's bamboo, is a species of bamboo in the Poaceae (grasses) family that is native to China. The subspecies ''var. gracilis'' is heavily cultivated in Australia. Descri ...

'', '' Bambusa vulgaris "Striata"'', ''

Phyllostachys bambusoides ''Phyllostachys bambusoides'', commonly called , giant timber bamboo, or Japanese timber bamboo, is a species of flowering plant in the bamboo subfamily of the grass family Poaceae, native to China, and possibly also to Japan. Description ''Phyl ...

'', '' Phyllostachys bambusoides "Castillonis"'', '' Phyllostachys bambusoides "Castilloni inversa"'', '' Phyllostachys bambusoides "Holocrysa"'', '' Phyllostachys bambusoides "Tanakae"'', '' Phyllostachys edulis "Moso"'','' Phyllostachys makinoi'', '' Phyllostachys nigra "Boryana"'', '' Phyllostachys nigra "Henonis"'', ''

Phyllostachys pubescens ''Phyllostachys edulis'', the bamboo, or tortoise-shell bamboo, or (), ( ja, モウソウチク), () is a temperate species of giant timber bamboo native to China and Taiwan and naturalised elsewhere, including Japan where it is widely distrib ...

'', '' Phyllostachys pubescens "Bicolor"'', '' Phyllostachys viridis "Mitis"'', '' Phyllostachys viridis "Sulfurea"'', ''

Phyllostachys vivax ''Phyllostachys vivax'', the Chinese timber bamboo, is a species of flowering plant in the Bambusoideae, bamboo subfamily of the grass family (botany), family Poaceae, native species, native to China. It is a tall, robust evergreen plant growing ...

'', '' Phyllostachys vivax "Aureocaulis"'', '' Phyllostachys vivax "Huanvenzhu"'', '' Phyllostachys violascens'', and '' Phyllostachys viridiglaucescens''.

References

Bambouseraie de Prafrance
* Patrick Taylor (ed), ''The Oxford Companion to the Garden'',

Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print books ...

, pages 33–34. .
GetFrench.com description

GardenVisit description

Bamboo Society description
{{Coord, 44, 4, 16, N, 3, 58, 40, E, type:forest_region:FR, display=title Gardens in Gard Botanical gardens in France

Bamboo collections

See also

References