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IRISH FORESTRY
Kirstenbosch National
Botanic Garden
The National Botanical Institute is an autonomous, state aided organisation whose
mission is to promote the sustainable use, conservation, appreciation and enjoyment of
the exceptionally rich plant life of South Africa, for the benefit of all people.
The garden is sanctuary to about half of South Africa's indigenous flowering species. It
is the best known of South Africa's eight botanical gardens - it was the first in the world
to showcase indigenous plants and now shows 6,000 different species. In 1896 Cecil John
Rhodes bought Kirstenbosch, a 152 ha farm, as a first step towards preserving Devil's Peak
and the eastern slopes of Table Mountain as a National Park. Kirstenbosch was selected
for its current role in 1913, when it was officially declared the first national Botanic
Park in South Africa. Its aims were to promote the study, preservation and cultivation of
indigenous flora.
The continuous work and research that is carried out at Kirstenbosch is critical to the
maintenance of the fragile ecological balance of South Africa's environment. In addition
scientists are doing valuable exploratory work in the field of the curative properties of
many of the indigenous plants and flowers.
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