The Fascinating History of Kirstenbosch

Over a century ago, a botanist called Harold Pearson searched Cape Town high and low for the perfect spot to build a botanic garden. When he arrived at an overgrown farm called Kirstenbosch in February 1911, he ignored the wild pigs and weeds and declared “This is the place!”

Kirstenbosch was founded in 1913 and was established to preserve South Africa's unique flora and indigenous plants. With over 7 000 species in cultivation today, the garden forms the perfect display of fynbos and forest that is easily explored and enjoyed by locals and tourists via a number of walks and trails.

In June of 2015, an exhibit of nine life-sized dinosaur sculptures was placed in the garden to raise awareness of the cycad. Having survived the massive asteroid strike that extinguished the dinosaurs, the cycad is currently the most threatened group of living organisms in the world.

Built over 200 years ago, Colonel Bird's Bath is a bricked pool that was used to collect spring water and was piped to his nearby house. It forms part of the Dell, the oldest part of Kirstenbosch, where hand-axes and other stone tools have been found. Another historic part of Kirstenbosch is Jan van Rieebeeck's hedge, that was planted in 1660 and whose majestic wild almond trees serve as a remnant of this hedge.

A trip to Kirstenbosch isn’t 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’s centenary. Informally known as “The Boomslang” (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.

The Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden is amongst the greatest gardens in the world, and well worth a visit. Enjoy a picnic with friends, or simply take a walk through the Garden enjoying its extraordinarily rich and diverse flora.