Pretoria National Botanical Garden in Pretoria, Tshwane, South Africa | Birding | Botanical Gardens | Park | Childrens Garden | Garden | Visitor Centre

The Pretoria National Botanical Garden, founded in 1946, is home to the Head Office of SANBI in Pretoria, Gauteng, This Garden successfully bridges the divide between scientific research and the recreational environment. This 76 ha urban oasis is a pristine getaway a mere stone's throw away from the madding crowd.

The Pretoria National Botanical Garden in Pretoria, is open 365 days a year from 08:00 to 18:00. No entry after 17:00. Ordinary entrance fees are R18 for adults, R10 for students (if a valid student card is shown) and R7 for scholars. Senior citizens have free entry on Tuesdays. Botanical Society members have free entrance to the Garden if valid membership cards are shown.

About the Garden
A 50 m high quartzite outcrop divides the Garden in two sections. Its frosty south-facing section and the north-facing, warmer section present two different worlds to the visitor and botanist. Paved nature trails give access to the fascinating natural vegetation on the ridge. Fifty hectares of the total area are devoted to developed Garden, using almost exclusively South African plants. All the flowering plant species to be seen including 50% of the country's tree species, make this Garden a botanical tapestry, offering the visitor a glimpse of different biomes such as savanna, forest, fynbos and some plants of other biomes.

The Garden is home to more than 198 bird species and a number of reptiles and small mammals such as the common duiker. Download a list of animals found in the Garden.

Special features are the tree wisteria ( Bolusanthus speciosus ) avenue and special collections of medicinal plants, cycads, aloes, tree species, succulents and natural ridge vegetation. The green lawns and spreading shade trees in summer and the massed aloe collections that blaze into flower during winter, are just some of the seasonal features that draw visitors to our Garden in Gauteng.

New facilities
Various capital development projects have been completed since 2002, including a new Visitor Centre and a gift/bookshop and the Environmental Education Centre, the new South African National Biodiversity Institute building was built adjacent to the existing herbarium building and was inaugurated on 2 December 2004. Opened in May 2005, the Mokha Restaurant overlooks the wetland.

Concerts
Bring your picnic baskets and come and enjoy excellent entertainment in our beautiful natural surroundings. Our Garden Picnic Concerts, sponsored by Pick 'n Pay, are held at the Concert Stage, starting on the 10th of May until the 6th of September. Times: 13:00 to 15:00. Entry fees from 11:00?14:00: R18 for adults and R7 for scholars and R10 students with a valid student card. Botanical Society members enjoy free entry if a valid membership card is shown. See the What's On page for more details on Garden events. General guided walks and tours may also be arranged by appointment for groups.