Durban Botanic Gardens

About

DURBAN BOTANIC GARDENS

Description

The Durban Botanic Gardens (DBG) traces its origins to colonial times, when it was founded in 1849 for the introduction and trial of potentially useful commercial crops.

The Gardens later developed collections of sub-tropical trees, palms and orchids. The Durban Botanic Gardens remains a classic botanic gardens, reflecting the universality of the plant kingdom. It has, for over 100 years, had a fine mixed arboretum of African, Asian and American trees.

The Gardens are a few minutes walk from the bustling Warwick Triangle, site of one of the largest retail medicinal plant markets in the country. The Gardens hosts approximately 500 000 visitors per year, many of whom are foreign tourists.

"The Durban Botanic Gardens is situated in the city of Durban, Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa. It opened in 1849 and is Durban's oldest public institution and the oldest surviving botanic garden on the African continent.The Gardens cover an area of 15 hectares in a subtropical climate. The Durban Botanic Gardens curates major collections such as cycads, palms and orchids, and in the true tradition of a botanic garden, is really several gardens within one.The Gardens is open every day of the year and entrance to the Gardens is free. Donations are gladly accepted and are used towards maintenance of the Gardens."