The Jardin de l'État, formerly known as the Jardin du Roy, is a historic

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 ...

on the island of

Réunion Réunion (; french: La Réunion, ; previously ''Île Bourbon''; rcf, label= Reunionese Creole, La Rényon) is an island in the Indian Ocean that is an overseas department and region of France. It is located approximately east of the island ...

, found in the capital Saint-Denis. Planted with

tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...

s and

spice A spice is a seed, fruit, root, bark, or other plant substance primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are the leaves, flowers, or stems of plants used for flavoring or as a garnish. Spices a ...

s taken from outside the island by

Pierre Poivre Pierre Poivre (23 August 1719 – 6 January 1786) was an 18th-century horticulturist and botanist. He was born in Lyon, France. He was a missionary to East Asia, intendant of French colonial islands in the Indian Ocean, and wearer of the cordon ...

, the garden is home to a natural history museum opened in August 1855. The garden was built from 1767 to 1773. The garden's golden era came at the beginning of the 19th century, when its plants were tended to by famous botanists such as Joseph Hubert,

Nicolas Bréon Nicolas or Nicolás may refer to: People Given name * Nicolas (given name) Mononym * Nicolas (footballer, born 1999), Brazilian footballer * Nicolas (footballer, born 2000), Brazilian footballer Surname Nicolas * Dafydd Nicolas (c.1705–1774), ...

and Jean-Michel-Claude Richard. At that time the garden housed 2000 species. 7000 of its plants were distributed to the islanders in 1825 as part of a scheme to improve the colonial

agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...

. Today, the garden's main entrance faces the historic ''Rue de Paris''. In the garden itself a bust of

and a Wallace fountain.

History

The Jardin de l'État was classified as a

monument historique ''Monument historique'' () is a designation given to some national heritage sites in France. It may also refer to the state procedure in France by which National Heritage protection is extended to a building, a specific part of a building, a coll ...

by the French Government on December 29, 1978.

Trees

The garden is home to around fifty species of tree, including: *''

Adansonia digitata ''Adansonia digitata'', the African baobab, is the most widespread tree species of the genus ''Adansonia'', the baobabs, and is native to the African continent and the southern Arabian Peninsula (Yemen, Oman). These are long-lived pachycauls; ra ...

'' - African baobab *''

Adenanthera pavonina ''Adenanthera pavonina'' is a perennial and non-climbing species of leguminous tree. Its uses include food and drink, traditional medicine, and timber. Common names and synonyms ''Adenanthera pavonina'' is commonly called Red Lucky Seed. Ot ...

'' -

Barbados pride ''Caesalpinia pulcherrima'' is a species of flowering plant in the pea family Fabaceae, native to the tropics and subtropics of the Americas. It could be native to the West Indies, but its exact origin is unknown due to widespread cultivation. Co ...

*'' Araucaria columnaris'' -

Cook pine ''Araucaria columnaris'', the coral reef araucaria, Cook pine (or Cook's pine), New Caledonia pine, Cook araucaria, or columnar araucaria, is a species of conifer in the family Araucariaceae. Distribution The tree is endemic to New Caledonia i ...

*'' Artocarpus heterophyllus'' -

Jackfruit The jackfruit (''Artocarpus heterophyllus''), also known as jack tree, is a species of tree in the fig, mulberry, and breadfruit family (Moraceae). Its origin is in the region between the Western Ghats of southern India, all of Bangladesh, ...

*''

Averrhoa carambola ''Averrhoa carambola'' is a species of tree in the family Oxalidaceae native to tropical Southeast Asia; it has a number of common names, including carambola, star fruit and five-corner. It is a small tree or shrub that grows tall, with rose to ...

'' - Carambola *''

Bambusa glaucescens ''Bambusa multiplex'' is a species of bamboo native to China (provinces of Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Hunan, Jiangxi, Sichuan, Yunnan), Nepal, Bhutan, Assam, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, and northern Indochina. It is also naturalized in Japan, Iraq, Madag ...

'' -

Golden goddess bamboo Golden means made of, or relating to gold. Golden may also refer to: Places United Kingdom *Golden, in the parish of Probus, Cornwall *Golden Cap, Dorset * Golden Square, Soho, London *Golden Valley, a valley on the River Frome in Gloucestersh ...

*'' Barringtonia asiatica'' -

Sea poison tree ''Barringtonia asiatica'' (fish poison tree, putat or sea poison tree) is a species of '' Barringtonia'' native to mangrove habitats from islands of the Indian Ocean in the west to tropical Asia and islands of the western Pacific Ocean. It is ...

*'' Caryota mitis'' -

Fishtail palm ''Caryota'' is a genus of palm trees. They are often known as fishtail palms because of the shape of their leaves. There are about 13 species native to Asia ( China, India, Indonesia, etc.), northern Australia, and the South Pacific. One of t ...

*''

Chrysophyllum cainito ''Chrysophyllum cainito'' is a tropical tree of the family Sapotaceae. It is native to the Isthmus of Panama, where it was domesticated. It has spread to the Greater Antilles and the West Indies and is now grown throughout the tropics, including ...

'' - Cainito *'' Cocos nucifera'' - Coconut palm *'' Cordia amplifolia'' *'' Couroupita guianensis'' - Cannonball tree *'' Crescentia cujete'' -

Calabash tree ''Crescentia'' (calabash tree, huingo, krabasi, or kalebas) is a genus of six species of flowering plants in the family Bignoniaceae, native to southern North America, the Caribbean, Central America northern South America. The species are modera ...

*'' Damara araucaria'' *''

Dictyosperma album ''Dictyosperma'' is a monotypic genus of flowering plant in the palm family found in the Mascarene Islands in the Indian Ocean (Mauritius, Réunion and Rodrigues). The sole species, ''Dictyosperma album'', is widely cultivated in the tropics but ...

'' - Hurricane palm or Princess palm *'' Elaeis guineensis'' -

Oil palm ''Elaeis'' () is a genus of palms containing two species, called oil palms. They are used in commercial agriculture in the production of palm oil. The African oil palm ''Elaeis guineensis'' (the species name ''guineensis'' referring to its co ...

or African oil palm *''

Elaeodendron orientale ''Elaeodendron'' is a genus of flowering plants in the staff vine family, Celastraceae. Selected species * ''Elaeodendron australe'' Vent. * '' Elaeodendron croceum'' (Thunb.) DC. * ''Elaeodendron curtipendulum'' Endl. * ''Elaeodendron glaucum'' ...

'' - Olive wood *'' Enterolobium cyclocarpum'' - Elephant ear tree *''

Eucalyptus citriodora ''Corymbia citriodora'', commonly known as lemon-scented gum and other common names, is a species of tall tree that is endemic to north-eastern Australia. It has smooth white to pink bark, narrow lance-shaped to curved adult leaves, flower buds ...

'' -

Lemon-scented gum ''Corymbia citriodora'', commonly known as lemon-scented gum and other common names, is a species of tall tree that is endemic to north-eastern Australia. It has smooth white to pink bark, narrow lance-shaped to curved adult leaves, flower buds ...

*'' Ficus microcarpa'' - Chinese banyan *'' Heritiera littoralis'' - Looking-glass mangrove *'' Hymenaea courbaril'' - Jatobá *''

Inga laurina ''Inga laurina'' is a species of plant in the family Fabaceæ. It is found from Mexico south to Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South ...

'' *'' Khaya senegalensis'' - Senegal mahogany *''

Kigelia africana ''Kigelia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Bignoniaceae. The genus consists of only one species, ''Kigelia africana'', which occurs throughout tropical Africa. The so-called sausage tree grows a poisonous fruit that is up to long, ...

'' -

Sausage tree ''Kigelia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Bignoniaceae. The genus consists of only one species, ''Kigelia africana'', which occurs throughout tropical Africa. The so-called sausage tree grows a poisonous fruit that is up to long, ...

*'' Livistona chinensis'' -

Chinese fan palm ''Livistona chinensis'', the Chinese fan palm or fountain palm, is a species of subtropical palm tree of east Asia. It is native to southern Japan, Taiwan, the Ryukyu Islands, southeastern China and Hainan. In Japan, two notable populations occ ...

*''

Majidea zanguebarica ''Majidea zangueberica'' (also known as the mgambo tree, black pearl tree or velvet seed tree) is a small tree of the family Sapindaceae. The tree is native to East Africa and grows up to 5 metres (16 ft) tall. Description This very ornamen ...

'' - Blackpearl *'' Mangifera indica'' - Mango tree *''

Melaleuca quinquenervia ''Melaleuca quinquenervia'', commonly known as the broad-leaved paperbark, paper bark tea tree, punk tree or niaouli, is a small- to medium-sized tree of the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. It grows as a spreading tree up to tall, with its trunk cov ...

'' -

Broad-leaved paperbark ''Melaleuca quinquenervia'', commonly known as the broad-leaved paperbark, paper bark tea tree, punk tree or niaouli, is a small- to medium-sized tree of the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. It grows as a spreading tree up to tall, with its trunk cov ...

*''

Mimusops coriacea ''Mimusops'' is a genus of plants in the family Sapotaceae described as a genus by Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (; 23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after his ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné Blunt (2004), p. 171. (), was a Sw ...

'' *'' Pandanus sanderi'' -

Screw pine ''Pandanus'' is a genus of monocots with some 750 accepted species. They are palm-like, dioecious trees and shrubs native to the Old World tropics and subtropics. The greatest number of species are found in Madagascar and Malaysia. Common nam ...

*''

Pandanus utilis ''Pandanus utilis'', the common screwpine is, despite its name, a monocot and not a pine. It is native to Madagascar and naturalised in Mauritius and the Seychelles. Description The trunk features aerial prop roots. The leaves are linear and spi ...

'' - Common screwpine *''

Peltophorum pterocarpum ''Peltophorum pterocarpum'' (commonly known as copperpod, yellow-flamboyant, yellow flametree, yellow poinciana or yellow-flame) is a species of ''Peltophorum'', native to tropical southeastern Asia and a popular ornamental tree grown around the ...

'' - Yellow poinciana *'' Pterocarpus indicus'' -

Angsana ''Pterocarpus indicus'' (commonly known as Amboyna wood, Malay padauk, Papua New Guinea rosewood, Philippine mahogany, Andaman redwood, Burmese rosewood, narra and asana in the Philippines, angsana, or Pashu padauk) is a species of ''Pterocarpus ...

*''

Ravenala madagascariensis ''Ravenala'' is a genus of monocotyledonous flowering plants. Classically, the genus was considered to include a single species, ''Ravenala madagascariensis'', commonly known as the traveller's tree, traveller's palm or East-West palm, from Mada ...

'' -

Travellers palm ''Ravenala'' is a genus of monocotyledonous flowering plants. Classically, the genus was considered to include a single species, ''Ravenala madagascariensis'', commonly known as the traveller's tree, traveller's palm or East-West palm, from Mada ...

*''

Roystonea oleracea ''Roystonea oleracea'', sometimes known as the Caribbean royal palm, palmiste, imperial palm or cabbage palm, is a species of palm which is native to the Lesser Antilles, Colombia, Venezuela, and Trinidad and Tobago. It is also reportedly natural ...

'' - Trinidad royal palm or Venezuela royal palm *''

Samanea saman ''Samanea saman'', also sometimes known as the rain tree, is a species of flowering tree in the pea family, Fabaceae, now in the Mimosoid clade and is native to Central and South America. Its range extends from Mexico south to Peru and Brazil, ...

'' - Saman or rain tree, monkey pod, cenizaro or cow tamarind *'' Senna siamea'' -

Siamese cassia ''Senna siamea'', also known as Siamese cassia, kassod tree, cassod tree and cassia tree, is a legume in the subfamily Caesalpinioideae. It is native to South and Southeast Asia, although its exact origin is unknown. It is a medium-size, evergr ...

*'' Sterculia foetida'' - Stinky sterculia or Sterculia nut or Java olive *''

Syzygium cumini ''Syzygium cumini'', commonly known as Malabar plum, Java plum, black plum, jamun, jaman, jambul, or jambolan, is an evergreen tropical tree in the flowering plant family Myrtaceae, and favored for its fruit, timber, and ornamental value. It is ...

'' -

Jambul ''Syzygium cumini'', commonly known as Malabar plum, Java plum, black plum, jamun, jaman, jambul, or jambolan, is an evergreen tropical tree in the flowering plant family Myrtaceae, and favored for its fruit, timber, and ornamental value. It is ...

Jamun ''Syzygium cumini'', commonly known as Malabar plum, Java plum, black plum, jamun, jaman, jambul, or jambolan, is an evergreen tropical tree in the flowering plant family Myrtaceae, and favored for its fruit, timber, and ornamental value. It is ...

or Jamblang *''

Tabebuia pallida ''Tabebuia pallida'' is a species of ''Tabebuia ''Tabebuia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Bignoniaceae.Eberhard Fischer, Inge Theisen, and Lúcia G. Lohmann. 2004. "Bignoniaceae". pages 9-38. In: Klaus Kubitzki (editor) and J ...

'' - Cuban pink trumpet tree *'' Tamarindus indica'' -

Tamarind Tamarind (''Tamarindus indica'') is a Legume, leguminous tree bearing edible fruit that is probably indigenous to tropical Africa. The genus ''Tamarindus'' is monotypic taxon, monotypic, meaning that it contains only this species. It belongs ...

*'' Terminalia arjuna'' *'' Terminalia catappa'' - Indian almond, Bengal almond, Singapore almond, Malabar almond,

Tropical almond ''Terminalia catappa'' is a large tropical tree in the leadwood tree family, Combretaceae, native to Asia, Australia, the Pacific, Madagascar and Seychelles. Common names in English include country almond, Indian almond, Malabar almond, sea almon ...

Sea almond ''Terminalia catappa'' is a large tropical tree in the leadwood tree family, Combretaceae, native to Asia, Australia, the Pacific, Madagascar and Seychelles. Common names in English include country almond, Indian almond, Malabar almond, sea almon ...

, or Umbrella tree *''

Vitex doniana ''Vitex doniana'' is a tree native to the Afrotropics. Its fruits are one of several fruits called black plums. This tree is often grown for its fruits. Description It grows to , and rarely up to . Its fruits are at most in length. ''V. donia ...

'' - African black plum *''

Yucca guatemalensis ''Yucca gigantea'' ( syn. ''Yucca elephantipes'') is a species of flowering plant in the asparagus family, native to Mexico and Central America. Growing up to in height, it is an evergreen shrub which is widely cultivated as an ornamental garde ...

'' - Spineless yucca And also: * Carambole marron * Coing de Chine * Ficus banian * Garcinéa * Palmier bouteille *

Santal The Santal or Santhal are an Austroasiatic speaking Munda ethnic group in South Asia. Santals are the largest tribe in the Jharkhand and West Bengal state of India in terms of population and are also found in the states of Odisha, Bihar and A ...

* Zévis de l'Inde

Bibliography

*''Guide du jardin de l'État de Saint-Denis'', J. Dequaire, Srepen, July 1984.

References

Etat, Jardin de l' Etat, Jardin de l' 1773 establishments in Africa Saint-Denis, Réunion 1773 establishments in France {{Réunion-geo-stub

History

Trees

Bibliography

See also

References