At the foot of Table Mountain lies a Cape Town treasure, the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden. This 528-hectare property is a veritable museum of plants. We chart its fascinating history and many excellent attractions in this visitor's guide, with extracts from Brian J. Huntley's book, Kirstenbosch – the most beautiful garden in Africa. 

What began as a "living laboratory" for the scientific study of plants has become one of the most beautiful and popular attractions in the country in the form of  Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden , or Kirstenbosch for short. It's a property of staggering size and beauty, with an interesting history that dates back to the 19th century. Today, Kirstenbosch is one of the many wondrous properties that falls under the jurisdiction of the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI).

In 1811, a botanical collector named William Burchell visited Cape Town . Inspired by the natural beauty of the area, he commented that the establishment of a botanical garden would be greatly beneficial for both scientific enquiry and the public. Of the east-facing slopes of Table Mountain, he wrote: "The beauty here displayed to the eye could scarcely be represented by the most skilful pencil."

A century later, in 1911, a professor of botany, Henry Harold Welch Pearson , along with botanist Neville Pillans and the curator of the Cape Town Municipal Gardens, George Herbert Ridley , set out to look for a site where a new botanical garden could be established. "Pearson was inspired by the country's living assets – its abundant and beautiful flora," and he campaigned for the establishment of a national botanical garden where plants could be studied in their natural habitat. They considered several sites for this ambitious project, finally settling on Kirstenbosch thanks to Burchell's initial effusive comments on the area's beauty.

"The most cherished features of Kirstenbosch are the peace, safety, and unique sense of place that the Garden evokes."

After much deliberation and contestation, Pearson's dream was finally realised in 1913, when Kirstenbosch was opened where what was then called Leendertsbos. It is notable for being the first botanical garden to focus solely on indigenous flora, and since then, it has grown dramatically in size and stature. Given the need for scientific enquiry, Kirstenbosch was developed systematically and deliberately to house its collection of an estimated 7,000 plant species. The result was an assembly of different sections, each a celebration of a different aspect of South African indigenous flora.

Today, Kirstenbosch is home to a vast array of plants, some of them more than 100 years old. However, the garden is not just a collection of plants – it is a curated, carefully designed space that satisfies the need for education, physical activity, entertainment, and the sheer joy of being in nature. "Kirstenbosch is an outdoor classroom of particular splendour" that has inspired, educated, and entertained people for more than a century. 
 

Historical attractions

COLONEL BIRD'S BATH
At the start of the 18th century, financial constraints in South Africa's then British administration resulted in the government selling sections of land, including parts of what is now Kirstenbosch. Some of this land was bought by  Colonel Christopher Bird , who, in 1811, built a small pool in the shape of a bird in the heart of Kirstenbosch. Known today as Colonel Bird's Bath , it was originally used to collect spring water. The bath is also part of a myth involving Scottish travel writer, artist and socialite Lady Anne Barnard , who, it is claimed, bathed in the pond. The water in Bird's Bath is clean to drink, making it a delightful attraction with a charming backstory.
 
CAMPHOR AVENUE
Throughout his term, then Prime Minister of the Cape Colony  Cecil John Rhodes  showed concern about the impact of urban development on natural environments. To protect these areas, he bought large tracts of land along the east-facing slopes of Table Mountain. The current site of Kirstenbosch was part of this land, and was left to "the united peoples of South Africa" after his death in 1902. In 1898, Rhodes planted an avenue of camphor trees on a portion of this land to provide him with shade on his rides from Groote Schuur to Constantia. Although these trees are alien species, they weren't removed when the garden was opened in 1913. They have grown into a magnificent, towering canopy that still flanks the path Rhodes travelled, and is now known as  Camphor Avenue .
 
PEARSON'S GRAVE
Pearson's passion for botany gave South Africa, and specifically Cape Town, an exceptional legacy. Thanks to his dedication to the scientific study of indigenous flora, the country has a rich network of institutions and gardens that attract visitors from all over the world. "What made his vision of a new botanic garden so different from others around the globe was his emphasis on the study and preservation of the country's indigenous flora," and this vision won him several awards during his career. When Pearson died in 1916, he was buried on a knoll overlooking his beloved collection of cycads. The site, now backed by an enormous Atlas cedar, is known as Pearson's Grave , and has fittingly been inscribed with the words, "If ye seek his monument, look around you." 

Trails and tracks