The Jardin des plantes, also known as the Jardin des plantes de Paris when distinguished from other jardins des plantes in other cities, is the main botanical garden in France. The term Jardin des plantes is the official name in the present day, but it is in fact an elliptical form of Jardin royal des plantes médicinales, which is related to the original purpose of the garden back in the 17th century.
Headquarters of the Muséum national d'histoire naturelle, the Jardin des plantes is situated in the 5th arrondissement, Paris, on the left bank of the river Seine, and covers 28 hectares. Since 24 March 1993, the entire garden and its contained buildings, archives, libraries, greenhouses, ménagerie, works of art, and specimens' collection are classified as a national historical landmark in France.