A Winter Walk at Kirstenbosch

Exploring South Africa’s oldest national botanical garden

Male Southern Double Collared Sunbird feeding on the blooms of the Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia reginae) at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens. Photo ©Zoë Chapman Poulsen.

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden in Cape Town, South Africa, has just turned 108 years old. Founded in 1913, it has grown from humble beginnings to become one of Africa’s most famous botanical gardens.

Sited on the lower slopes of the iconic Table Mountain, Kirstenbosch showcases a vast and diverse collection of South Africa’s indigenous plants from all over the country.

In winter one of the highlights of Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens is seeing the Aloes in bloom in the Matthews Rockery. Here the yellow form of the Kranz Aloe (Aloe arborescens) glows in the winter light against the backdrop of Table Mountain. Photo ©Zoë Chapman Poulsen.

As a megadiverse country, South Africa is home to more than 20,000 plant species. And these are only the ones that we know about. New species are being described by scientists on a regular basis, constantly increasing that number.

South Africa’s national botanical gardens, run by the South African National Biodiversity Institute are also powerhouses for scientific research and innovative conservation work.

Winding paths ascend from the shade of the Dell into the Cycad Amphitheatre at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens, Cape Town, South Africa. Photo ©Zoë Chapman Poulsen.

I am lucky to have this extraordinary institution on my doorstep, and during my…