National Botanical Garden
Botswana’s first botanical garden, showing native plants from six regions
The National Botanical Garden in Gaborone covers 7 hectares and features plants native to Botswana’s diverse habitats. Opened in 2007, it displays species from six ecological zones and is managed by the Botswana National Museum. Visitors can explore local trees, palms, aloes, and grasses in themed sections.
- Opened in 2007 as Botswana’s first botanical garden
- Displays plants from six ecological regions
- Located 3 km from central Gaborone
- Managed by the Botswana National Museum
- Includes trees linked to Botswana’s history
What is National Botanical Garden?
This garden is a 7-hectare park located near the Notwane River, just outside central Gaborone. It is divided into six areas, each representing a different ecological region of Botswana. Visitors walk through displays of native trees, palms, aloes, and grasses, with signs explaining their origins. The garden is a place to see the country’s plant diversity in one setting.
The history of National Botanical Garden
The National Botanical Garden opened in November 2007 as Botswana’s first garden of its kind. Its main aim is to conserve the country’s plant heritage by gathering species from across Botswana’s varied landscapes. The garden is run by the Botswana National Museum, which also cares for important botanical sites around the country, such as historic trees.
What there is to see
The garden is organized into six sections, each planted with species typical of a specific region: Chobe, Okavango and Salt Pans, Mophane Woodland, North-Eastern Kalahari, Mashatu, and South Western Kalahari. Paths lead visitors through these zones, where they can see plants like sausage trees, wild date palms, mountain aloes, and hoodia.
When to go
People visit the garden to learn about Botswana’s native plants and see the differences between the country’s main ecological areas. It is open on weekdays, with closures on weekends and public holidays. The garden also helps maintain notable trees elsewhere in Botswana that have cultural or historical importance.
Parts and collections
Each section of the garden highlights the unique plants of its region. For example, the Chobe area features sausage trees and pod mahogany, while the Okavango section has wild date and ilala palms. The Kalahari zones show off drought-tolerant species like hoodia and local grasses.
Why National Botanical Garden matters
The garden not only conserves plants but also helps protect sites of national memory, such as the morula tree in Gaborone linked to Botswana’s political history. By gathering plants from across the country, it serves as a living record of Botswana’s botanical and cultural heritage.
Questions people ask about National Botanical Garden
Where is the National Botanical Garden located?
The garden is found along Okwa Road, near the Notwane River, about 3 km southeast of Gaborone’s city center in Botswana.
What can I see at the National Botanical Garden?
Visitors can explore six themed sections, each showing plants native to a different ecological region of Botswana, such as sausage trees, wild date palms, mountain aloes, and hoodia.
When did the National Botanical Garden open?
The garden opened to the public on 2 November 2007.
What is the purpose of the National Botanical Garden?
Its main goal is to protect and display Botswana’s plant heritage by growing native species from across the country’s varied landscapes.
Who manages the National Botanical Garden?
The garden is managed by the Botswana National Museum, which also looks after other important botanical sites in Botswana.
Good reading and sources
- National Botanical Garden (Botswana) on WikipediaEncyclopedia
- More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos
- Wikidata recordOpen data
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "National Botanical Garden (Botswana)", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). Phool rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes. Opening times, prices and bloom dates change: check with the place before you travel. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-03.
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