Karoo National Botanical Garden
Karoo Desert BG, Worcester - P
Welcome to the Karoo National Botanical Garden attraction page - in addition to guides like this post we also list a great range of hotels, B&B's, guesthouses and self-catering establishments. Please take a look at our Worcester page if you're looking for
Worcester accommodation. These botanical gardens outside of Worcester feature a variety of plants that enjoy arid environments. The succulent collection is the largest in Africa, and it is highly regarded internationally.
The gardens also features a brail trail, a section where plants are grouped by climate region, and a variety of prehistoric plants and, often, simply quite beautiful plants.
Karoo Desert National Botanical Garden
History
The Garden was established in 1921 on 20 morgen (17-21 ha) of land near a railway siding at White Hill, 5 km east of Matjiesfontein. The Garden was known as Logan Memorial Garden and was the second National Botanical Garden to be established after Kirstenbosch. Mr J. Archer, former station master at Matjiesfontein and lover of succulents, was appointed as the first curator in 1925. Because of a lack of water and the re-routing of the national road, it became evident that Whitehill was not a suitable site for the Garden anymore. In 1944 Prof. R.H. Compton, Director at Kirstenbosch, and Mr. J. Thudichum, a Swiss horticulturist based at Kirstenbosch, began to search for a more suitable site. Two possible sites were identified. One was near Robertson and the other one near Worcester. 36 Morgen of land, just north of Worcester, was donated by the Worcester Municipality and Mr C.P. Heatlie, for the re-establishment of the Garden. The Garden was started on 15 August, 1945.
Quiver Trees/Kokerbooms @ Karo
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Additional land was donated by the Worcester Municipality and Mr Heatlie, increasing the total area of the Garden to its current 154 hectares. When the Garden moved to Worcester it was known as the Karoo National Botanical Garden (Karootuin in Afrikaans).
In 1945, Mr Thudicum was appointed in 1945 as the first curator at the new location. He was responsible for the relocation of plants from White Hill to Worcester. Many of these plants, especially the Quiver trees, Aloe dichotoma, that were replanted in Worcester, still survive in the original location (to the east of the lower parking area). Mr. Thudicum watered the plants using a bucket, balanced on handlebars of his bicycle or by wearing a yoke to support the buckets. Mr. Thudicum is remembered in the botanical world for a showy yellow mesembryanthemum, Drosanthemum thundicumii, which grows naturally on the shale hills of this Garden.
In 2001, 80 years after the Garden was established, the name of the Garden officially changed to Karoo Desert National Botanical Garden. The addition of the word ‘desert' in the name emphasizes that this Garden cultivates and displays plants from the arid winter rainfall regions of southern Africa.
North of Worcester, 144 hectare semi-desert nature garden.
We also offer a wide selection of
South Africa accommodation - let us know where you would like to travel
Trading Hours
07h00 - 18h00; Daily (Out of flowering season); 07h00 - 18h00; Daily (In flowering season)
Pricing
Free (Out of flowering season); Adults: R 16.00; Children: R 7.00 (In flowering season)
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Karoo National Botanical Garden's Contact Details:
| Phone: | 023 347 0785 |
| Email: | karoodesert@sanbi.org |
| Website: | http://www.sanbi.org/karoo |
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Karoo National Botanical Garden Map:
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Things to do near Karoo National Botanical Garden
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Accommodation near Karoo National Botanical Garden
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