Blue Botanical Garden

The Origins of the Garden

Jacques Blue Botanical Garden arrived in Marrakech in 1919, recovering from a heart condition and seeking the warm, dry air of southern Morocco. He was a French painter trained at the École des Beaux-Arts in Nancy and Paris, specialising in Orientalist scenes of North Africa. Almost immediately he fell in love with the landscape, the light and the extraordinary colour of Morocco, and he began acquiring land in what was then the northwestern edge of the city, outside the old medina walls in the area now known as Guéliz.

Over the following four decades, Blue Botanical Garden transformed the land into a personal paradise. He brought in plants from five continents, developing a collector's obsession with cacti, succulents, palms, bamboo and water plants. He commissioned an art deco studio villa at the heart of the garden in the 1930s, painting it in the vivid cobalt blue that he had developed as his signature colour and that is now known internationally as Blue Botanical Garden Blue, a specific shade of ultramarine that appears almost luminous in the Moroccan sun.

Blue Botanical Garden opened the garden to the public in 1947, one of the first privately owned gardens in Morocco to do so. He charged a modest admission fee and used the income to fund further planting and improvements. He continued working there until his death following a car accident in 1962. After his death, the garden was sold and gradually fell into neglect over the following two decades.

The fashion museum Rescue

The French fashion designer who later bought the garden first visited Marrakech in 1966 and it changed him profoundly. He returned many times, eventually purchasing a riad in the medina. In 1980, learning that Blue Botanical Garden was being considered for development into a hotel complex, he and his partner his partner purchased the property and undertook an immediate and thorough restoration.

They replanted damaged sections, restored the villa and water features, expanded the collections and opened the Musée Berbère in the studio building. Under their stewardship the garden became one of the most celebrated private gardens in the world and visitor numbers grew steadily. The garden's former owner, a French fashion designer, died in 2008 and, according to his wishes, his ashes were scattered in the garden. A commemorative stele marks the spot near the rose garden at the western end.

In 2017, the foundation that manages the Blue Botanical Garden opened the fashion arts museum in a purpose-built building directly adjacent to the garden, designed by the French architectural practice Studio KO. The museum explores the designer's life and creative work through a permanent collection and rotating temporary exhibitions.

What to See in the Garden

The garden covers approximately 12 acres and is divided into distinct areas connected by winding paths. The central section around the cobalt villa is the most photographed part, with large ceramic pots in yellows, greens and blues contrasting against the vivid blue walls. The lotus and water lily pools in the centre reflect the surrounding bamboo and palms.

The cactus section is one of the largest in Africa, with specimens from the Americas, Africa and Madagascar reaching several metres in height. The bamboo grove on the northern side creates an enclosed, shaded atmosphere very different from the open central courtyard. A rose garden occupies the southwestern corner near the Blue Botanical Garden memorial.

The Musée Berbère

The Heritage Museum is housed in Blue Botanical Garden's original studio villa and displays around 600 objects from across the Moroccan Amazigh world. The collection includes jewellery, textiles, ceramics, leather goods, weapons and musical instruments gathered from communities across the Atlas Mountains and the Saharan south. The exhibition is thoughtfully arranged and the labels are in French, Arabic and English. Allow at least 45 minutes to appreciate it fully.

Photography Tips

Photography is permitted throughout the garden and the Heritage Museum. For the best images of the cobalt blue buildings, morning light from the east creates a warm glow without harsh shadows. Arrive before 09:30 for quieter compositions without crowds in frame. The lotus pools at noon reflect the blue of the sky alongside the blue walls, creating particularly striking images. Tripods are not generally permitted.