Durban Botanic Gardens

What is Durban Botanic Gardens?

Durban Botanic Gardens covers 15 hectares in the city of Durban, offering a wide variety of plant collections in a subtropical climate. The gardens feature extensive displays of cycads, ferns, orchids, bromeliads, and over a thousand trees, including palms. Visitors can walk through themed areas such as the Fern Dell and the Ernest Thorp Orchid House, which showcases orchids when in bloom. The gardens also provide open lawns for gatherings and shaded paths for leisurely walks.

The history of Durban Botanic Gardens

The gardens were first established in 1849 as part of a global network of botanic gardens linked to Kew Gardens, aiming to introduce useful plants and supply specimens for science. After moving to its current site in 1851, the gardens grew under several curators, notably John Medley Wood, who founded the Natal Government Herbarium and discovered Wood's Cycad, now the garden's emblem. The gardens have survived economic challenges, changes in management, and political shifts, maintaining many original plantings and expanding their collections over time.

What there is to see

The gardens are laid out with specialized sections for different plant groups. The cycad collection is arranged by geographic origin. The Fern Dell houses local and exotic ferns. The Ernest Thorp Orchid House displays orchids, especially in spring and autumn. Bromeliads are mass-planted in garden beds and sometimes displayed in the orchid house during winter and summer. The grounds also include lawns, paths, and a variety of mature trees and palms.

When to go

Durban Botanic Gardens is open year-round and hosts a range of activities, from music events and tea parties to the annual indigenous plant fair in September. The plant fair features hundreds of native South African species and promotes local biodiversity. The gardens serve as a place for recreation, education, and plant conservation, attracting both locals and visitors.

Parts and collections

The gardens are known for their collections of cycads, including Wood's Cycad, as well as a diverse range of ferns and orchids. The orchid collection contains over 9,000 plants, with notable genera like Cattleya, Phalaenopsis, and Vanda. The cycad section includes species from South Africa and beyond, while the Fern Dell and bromeliad beds showcase both native and exotic varieties.

Why Durban Botanic Gardens matters

Durban Botanic Gardens is the oldest surviving botanical garden in Africa and Durban's oldest public institution. Wood's Cycad, discovered by John Medley Wood, is the emblem of the gardens. The annual indigenous plant fair highlights the importance of native plants and biodiversity. The gardens have played a role in botanical research and plant conservation for over a century.

The flowers of Durban Botanic Gardens

OrchidA vast family of colourful, often fragrant flowers found almost everywhere on earth

Plan a visit

🇿🇦 Durban · All yearDurban Botanic GardensA subtropical garden founded in 1849, with an orchid house and a famous collection of cycads.

Questions people ask about Durban Botanic Gardens

Good reading and sources

• Official websiteOfficial site

• Durban Botanic Gardens on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos
• Wikidata recordOpen data