Stellenbosch Botanical Gardens

The Cape Winelands region is renowned for coming alive during the spring season; the wine farms blossom with fruit, the sweeping hills recover their shade of green and the pleasant Mediterranean climate begins to settle, transforming the valley in which Stellenbosch is located into the rich, flourishing town it’s known to be.

If you’re enjoying a day visit or a sweet sojourn out in Stellenbosch this spring, be sure to pop by the town’s botanical gardens for a captivating experience.

One of the points of entry into the Stellenbosch Botanical Garden.
Credit: http://cdnstatic-2.mydestination.com/library/images/185704_600_400.jpg

Stellenbosch Botanical Garden

This historic garden, located diagonally opposite Bonne Esperance guest house, was established in 1925. Today, the garden is used as a research resource for botany students as well as a pocket of utopia for visitors looking to unwind and relax. On account of the Mediterranean climate, a wide range of plants can thrive and the garden boasts a plant collection that’s incomparable to other botanical gardens. Rare, indigenous and threatened flora can be found in this garden, including plant species that have been classified as extinct in the wild.

Keep an eye out for these themed gardens and specific plant groups:

The Bonsai collection
Credit: http://www.winelands.co.za/media/k2/items/cache/b8292acafd72142128a3481ac4b0abff_XL.jpg.

• The bonsai collection on display in the Stellenbosch Botanical Garden consists of close to 300 trees. It is widely regarded as the largest, publically accessible bonsai collection in South Africa.
• The orchid house boasts a large, fragrant collection that is, unfortunately, not accessible to the public. However, blooming orchids are frequently moved to the tropical greenhouse for viewing.
• There are two succulent greenhouses within the garden that house a large variety of plant species indigenous to southern Africa and Madagascar. The succulent and xerophytic plants on display include the quiver tree, silver dollar vine, elephant’s foot as well as rare vygies.
• Some curious trees can be found in the Garden too, from species indigenous to southern Africa to sub-tropical shrubs – Stellenbosch Botanical Garden will surprise you. Some interesting trees include the biggest tree species on Earth (Giant Sequoia), the tallest tree species on Earth (Californian Redwood), as well as a tree considered extinct up until 1948, called the Dawn Redwood. You will also find Forest Elder and Cinnamon trees.