4 Best Botanical Gardens in Australia
There are over 140 botanical gardens spread all over Australia, many of them filled with native plant species from Australia, and some showcasing the most wild and interesting plants from around the world. If you love trees, flowers, grasses and basically anything that grows, you will find it all in Australia. So give yourself some much deserved time off work and stop to smell the flowers! Online searches will quickly help you find a garden near you, and the following lists some of the best botanic gardens that you simply must try to visit one day.
The Australian National Botanic Gardens, Australian Capital Territory
The planting of this fantastic garden in Canberra began in 1949. This garden was destined for greatness at the time of its inception, as it was included in the greater planning of the city itself. This garden houses the largest living collection of native Australian flora and is dedicated to promoting native species by providing resources for researchers and cultivating native plants which are threatened in the wild. A walk through this garden will bring out the instinctual pleasure for nature in you as you explore the 5,500 spectacular species that are grown here.
The Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney, New South Wales
This amazing garden is one of the oldest gardens in Australia. Starting in 1816, this garden started Australia’s long history of collection and study of plants making it the oldest scientific institution in Australia. You will have no problem fitting in a visit to this splendid garden as it is centrally located within walking distance from Circular Quay, the Opera House and downtown, and it is free to enter on any day of the week. Here you will see a perfect mix of native Australian plant species as well as some fantastic plants and flowers from other countries. This is a definite must-see if you are living in or visiting Sydney!
Alice Springs Desert Park, Northern Territory
If you want to see something you haven’t seen before, you will enjoy taking the time to explore and learn something new at this desert park in Alice Springs. The park houses both native animals and plants, which represent the central Australian desert environments, including desert rivers, sand country and woodland. The park is dedicated to research programs as well as public education through teaching of the interrelationships between plants, animals and the traditional people of the land. The park is not only dedicated to conservation efforts, but is also culturally important for the local Arrernte people – the park’s traditional owners.
The Flecker Botanic Gardens, Queensland
This tropical oasis in Queensland is located only a few kilometres away from the heart of the city of Cairns. This garden has been growing and thriving since 1886, and so it has become lush, abundant and colourful. Here you will see some plants that can’t be found anywhere else in the world, and you will be treated with displays of exotic species of palms, bamboos, orchids, gingers, vines, tropical fruit trees and aroids. Join one of the free guided tours, and let your imagination run wild with some of these unique, beautiful and weird plant species.
There is something for every type of plant lover in Australia, whether you are into exotic and strange, or native Australian, you will be awed and inspired by these fantastic gardens.