The Empress Josephine has often been portrayed as a needy socialite famed for her lavish entertainments with many stories being repeated about her salacious exploits.So it may come as a surprise to many that Josephine was a very accomplished plantswoman, gardener and keen botanist who played a key role in the collection and introduction of many new plants into France which she cultivated at her gardens at the Chateaux Malmaison near Paris.