Jaÿsinia (3.7 hectares) is a
botanical garden specializing in alpine flowers, located in
Samoëns
Samoëns () is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. It is the principal commune for the canton which bears its name. The town of Samoëns is located in the Vallée du Giffre (Gif ...
,
Haute-Savoie,
Rhône-Alpes,
France. 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 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 garden now contains about 8,000 plants from around the world, representing some 4,500 types of alpine flowers (including the rare ''
Iris perrieri'',
) 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 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.
See also
*
List of botanical gardens in France
References
;Notes
Samoens.com descriptionJardins et Paysages entry
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jaysinia
Gardens in Haute-Savoie
Botanical gardens in France