Arboretum de l'École du Breuil

The Arboretum de l'École du Breuil is a botanical garden in the eastern part of Bois de Vincennes. The grounds spread across about 12 hectares, containing thousands of trees arranged by plant families and growing characteristics.

The horticultural school was founded in 1867 as a project to establish professional gardening training in Paris. The institution quickly became an important center for botanical research and plant collection building.

The place honors Alphonse Du Breuil, a respected gardening educator from the 1800s. Students and plant specialists work here regularly, keeping the tradition of hands-on horticultural learning alive on the grounds.

The garden is open daily and sits at the eastern edge of Vincennes Forest with good public transport access. Comfortable walking shoes are recommended since the grounds are larger than they appear from the entrance.

The site holds a specialized collection of hundreds of historic apple and pear varieties along with one of Europe's largest collections of lilac types. These rare varieties are carefully maintained and offer visitors a window into past fruit breeding practices.