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Kirstenbosch Gardens photo by Andrew massyn –

Top 10 Remarkable Facts about Kirstenbosch Gardens, Cape Town

One of the best botanical gardens in the world is Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden. Few gardens can rival the sheer majesty of Kirstenbosch’s backdrop, which is the eastern slopes of Table Mountain in Cape Town.

Kirstenbosch is one of the world鈥檚 largest botanical gardens. Lying on the eastern slopes of Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa. Kirstenbosch is one of nine national botanical gardens in South Africa.

A trip to the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens should be at the top of your bucket list if you are a die-hard nature lover. One of the best botanical gardens in the world is the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens. This not only makes Kirstenbosch Gardens one of Cape Town’s top tourist destinations, but also one of the city’s most breathtaking natural treasures!

Kirstenbosch provides tourists with an almost limitless array of things to do and see in addition to its huge natural beauty and top garden status. not to mention thrilling adventure encounters!

Here are the top 10 remarkable facts about Kirstenbosch gardens, Cape Town.

1. Kirstenbosch Gardens was established in 1913

Kirstenbosch Gardens. Agapanthus with infructescence in the foreground. photo by Bgabel –

Kirstenbosch was established in 1913 to promote, conserve and display the extraordinarily rich and diverse flora of Southern Africa, and was the first botanic garden in the world to be devoted to a country’s indigenous flora.

Today it is divided into distinct areas, such as the Useful Plants Garden, the Arboretum and the Sculpture Garden. There is even a Garden of Extinction, displaying several South African plants that are in danger of extinction.

2. The Kirstenbosch Gardens has its origin in Henry Harold Pearson

Henry Harold Welch Pearson (1870-1916), South African botanist, founder of Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden in 1913 photo sourced from

The history of the area as a botanical garden has its origin in Henry Harold Pearson, a botanist from Cambridge University who came to the Cape Colony in 1903 to take up a position as a professor in the newly created chair of botany at the South African College (the predecessor of today’s University of Cape Town.)

To determine whether Kirstenbosch was a suitable location for a botanical garden, Pearson travelled across the area by cart in February 1911. The region was designated on July 1st, 1913, by the colony’s government, with a budget of 拢1,000 per year.

The post of director wasn’t funded with a salary, but Pearson agreed to take it on anyhow. He had a rough and limited life in the gardens. The challenge that Pearson faced was significant. In addition to being overgrown, the land was also home to wild pigs, weeds, and orchards.

The selling of firewood and acorns helped to bolster the budget because money was scarce. When Pearson started his work, cycads that may still be seen there today were planted in the Kirstenbosch region known as “The Dell.”

Pearson passed away from pneumonia in 1916. His inscription, “If ye seek his memorial, look around,” is still visible today in the garden where he was laid to rest.

3. Kirstenbosch Gardens covers an area of about 2 square miles

Kirstenbosch covers an area of about 2 square miles (5.2 square kilometres). Visitors can explore the park through several hiking trails. The Silvertree Trail is about 5 miles (8 kilometres) long. The Yellowwood Trail is about 2 miles (3 kilometres) long.

4. It is administered by the South African National Biodiversity Institute

At the eastern foot of Table Mountain in Cape Town, Kirstenbosch is a significant botanical garden. The South African National Biodiversity Institute(SANBI) is in charge of managing the garden, one of 10 National Botanical Gardens that span five of the country’s six distinct biomes.

The institute was formerly known as the National Botanical Institute until September 1, 2004.

5. The garden includes a large conservatory (The Botanical Society Conservatory) 

The garden has a large conservatory called The Botanical Society Conservatory that showcases plants from many habitats, such as the savanna, fynbos, karoo, and others.

The emphasis outside is on Cape native flora, which arise highlighted by the magnificent proteas collections.

6. The garden has more than 7,000 plant species

Surveying Cheetah by Dylan Lewis at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden in front of Fernwood Peak, photo by Matti Blume –

There are more than 7,000 plant species, or types, in Kirstenbosch. The garden contains mostly South African plants, including native fynbos (scrubland) and forest areas.

The garden grows beautiful flowering plants, such as the protea and heather, a large number of flowering bulbs, and huge cycads (palm-like tropical plants). Greenhouses grow plants from all climatic regions.

There are three herbaria (collections of dried plants) that altogether hold about 300,000 dried plant specimens. Kirstenbosch grows only indigenous South African plants.

7. Kirstenbosch enjoys great popularity because of its tree canopy walkway

The Tree Canopy Walkway (2014) at Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens photo by David Stanley –

A trip to Kirstenbosch isn鈥檛 complete without walking the tree canopy walkway. The majestic, curved steel and timber bridge that winds and dips its way through and over the treetops was built in 2013 to celebrate Kirstenbosch鈥檚 centenary.

Informally known as 鈥淭he Boomslang鈥� (meaning tree snake), the 130-meter-long walkway was inspired by a snake skeleton and gives incredible panoramic views of the surrounding mountains and the Garden below.

8. It has a Braille Trail to aid the blind visitors

There is a Braille Trail in Kirstenbosch, where blind visitors can feel the trees and plants. The Braille Trail will take you 15-30 minutes to complete and is 0.45 km long.

It is a short, self-guided trail that gives unsighted people the chance to discover an indigenous forest, unassisted, and encourages everyone to explore the forest with all their senses. The trail starts and ends at the Fragrance Garden.

9. Kirstenbosch Gardens hosts various concerts throughout the year

In summer, a popular series of outdoor concerts are held in the gardens on Sunday evenings. Many well-known local artists such as the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra, Johnny Clegg, The Parlotones, Ike Moriz, Arno Carstens, Goldfish, and a Mango Groove have performed here.

In recent years, several international performers such as Michael Bubl茅 and Cliff Richard have also held concerts on the Kirstenbosch stage.

During these times, there are few things better than sitting on the gently sloping lawns at Kirstenbosch and listening to live music in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere. Concert-goer’s picnic on the grass, happy children run about, and as for the mountainous backdrop – it鈥檚 enough to put anyone in a fantastic holiday mood!

The Old Mutual Summer Sunset Concert series runs from November to April, and it shouldn鈥檛 come as a surprise to learn that these concerts have become wildly popular.

10. It won the esteemed 鈥業nternational Garden of the Year award鈥�

In 2015, the International Garden Tourism Awards Body declared Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens the International Garden of the Year.