The Jardin Botanique des Cordeliers occupies the grounds of a former Franciscan convent in the centre of Digne, its walls enclosing a collection of some 400 plant species organised around the themes of the surrounding region — high-altitude flora from the Alpine zone, plants of the dry limestone garrigue, and species from the thermal springs. The garden is small enough to cover in an hour but well-maintained and genuinely interesting.
It is one of the few botanical gardens in France focused specifically on the flora of its immediate surroundings rather than on global exotica. In spring, the Alpine section is covered with flowering species from the mountain meadows above town. In summer, the lavender varieties are at their best — a reminder that Digne sits on the edge of the great Provençal lavender plateau.