Jaÿsinia (3.7 hectares) is a

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 alpine flowers, located in Samoëns,

Haute-Savoie Haute-Savoie (; Arpitan: ''Savouè d'Amont'' or ''Hiôta-Savouè''; en, Upper Savoy) or '; it, Alta Savoia. is a department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of Southeastern France, bordering both Switzerland and Italy. Its prefecture is Ann ...

Rhône-Alpes Rhône-Alpes () was an administrative region of France. Since 1 January 2016, it is part of the new region Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. It is located on the eastern border of the country, towards the south. The region was named after the river Rhône ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

. It is open daily except when there is snow on the ground; admission is free. The garden was established in 1906 by Marie-Louise Cognac-Jaÿ, a native of Samoëns and founder of

La Samaritaine La Samaritaine (French pronunciation: a samaʁitɛn is a large department store in Paris, France, located in the first arrondissement. The nearest métro station is Pont-Neuf, directly in front at the quai du Louvre and the rue de la Monnaie ...

department store in Paris, to designs by Louis-Jules Allemand. It opened in 1909. Since 1936 it has been directed by the Scientific Division of Botany from the

National Museum of Natural History The National Museum of Natural History is a natural history museum administered by the Smithsonian Institution, located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., United States. It has free admission and is open 364 days a year. In 2021, with 7 ...

. The garden now contains about 8,000 plants from around the world, representing some 4,500 types of alpine flowers (including the rare ''

Iris perrieri ''Iris perrieri'' is a plant species in the genus '' Iris''; it is also in the subgenus '' Iris''. It is a rhizomatous perennial, from the Savoy Alps in southern France and recently in Italy. It has green, deeply ribbed, sickle shaped leaves, a ...

'',) and 500 varieties of trees and shrubs. It is established at an altitude of 700–800 meters above sea level on a steep, south-facing

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

slope overlooking the old village, with garden features that include ruins of the Tornalta castle (12th century), a chapel (1687), and fountains and cascades. The ''Maison de la Jaÿsinia'' is at the garden's entrance, with a reception area providing information about the garden and the history of its founder.

References

;Notes
Samoens.com description

Jardins et Paysages entry

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jaysinia Gardens in Haute-Savoie Botanical gardens in France

See also

References