Botanical gardens

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Parks and Gardens

Break away from fast-paced city life by visiting any of South Africa's parks. Vital green lungs in the urban sprawl, they offer rest and recreation for millions of citizens.

Karoo Desert National Botanical Garden's beautiful scenery.

The Karoo Desert National Botanical Garden

The unique Karoo Desert National Botanical Garden displays masses of succulents and spring flowers in season, and is criss-crossed with hiking trails.

The botanical garden's African Rainforest walkway.

Lowveld National Botanical Garden

Get away from Nelspruit and spend some wonderful time amidst the biggest collection of cycads in Africa and succulent species indigenous to South Africa.

KwaZulu-Natal National Botanical Garden

At the KwaZulu-Natal Botanical Garden, you can see plants indigenous to the province, including Zulu medicinal plants, and enjoy biodiversity walks and birding.

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Harold Porter Botanical Garden

Come and experience vast fields of fynbos and other indigenous plants in their natural habitat. Enjoy nature with mountains and the sea as your backdrop.

Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden

For a good escape from Johannesburg without having to venture too far, head 30 km west to the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden and you'll find a vast grassland complete with rare tree and bird species.

Karoo Desert Botanical Garden

Come and experience a botanical garden in the middle of the arid Karoo. Don’t miss the flowering vygies in spring.

Durban Botanic Gardens

Africa's oldest surviving green masterpiece, Durban Botanic Gardens, is a luxuriant haven for orchids, palms, cycads and many other beautiful examples of indigenous and exotic flora.

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Johannesburg's natural attractions include the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden.

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Top 10

Botanical gardens

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, Western Cape

Part of the Cape Floral Kingdom World Heritage site, this world-renowned garden grows only indigenous South African plants and is one of 18 biodiversity hotspots on the planet.
Free State National Botanical Garden, Free State

Just outside Bloemfontein, the botanical garden consists of woodlands and grasslands dominated by wild olive and karee trees.
Harold Porter Botanical Garden, Western Cape

This garden is found in Betty’s Bay in the very heart of the Cape’s fynbos region, some 100 km from Cape Town.
Karoo Desert National Botanical Garden, Western Cape

This garden in the town of Worcester is unique as it is the only truly succulent garden on the African continent.
KwaZulu-Natal National Botanical Garden, Pietermaritzburg

This garden specialises in the conservation of plants from the eastern grasslands region of South Africa. Take a walk down Plane tree avenue, planted in 1908.
Lowveld National Botanical Garden, Mpumalanga

Explore various types of African Rain Forests, and see 600 of South Africa’s 1000 tree species in this lovely garden situated in Nelspruit, not too far from the Kruger National Park
Nieuwoudtville National Botanical Garden, Northern Cape

Described as the ‘bulb capital of the world’, this 6300 km garden on the Bokkeveld plateau is a biodiversity hotspot, and conserves endemic and threatened species.
Pretoria National Botanical Garden, Gauteng

Close to the city centre, this botanical garden, founded in 1946, offers a glimpse into a variety of indigenous biomes - savannah, forest and fynbos. There is a special collection of medicinal plants...
Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden, Gauteng

Set against the backdrop of a magnificent waterfall, this garden is known for its musical concerts, walks, succulent plants and its pair of nesting Verreaux eagles.
Botanic Gardens, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal

These are the longest surviving botanic gardens in the country. Visit the orchid, cycad and bromeliad house, and there is a trail for sight-impaired visitors.