Need A Great Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens Itinerary?

June 2, 2023

QUICK VIEW:
The Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens are famous for their Cape Floristic Region outdoor gardens and sprawling exhibits of plants and trees from various regions in South Africa. The campus has great signage with a beautiful layout.

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SOUTH AFRICA is located on the southernmost tip of the African continent. This Blog is part of a travel series covering the Road Hackers' three month visit to the Western Cape in 2022. 

A visit to the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens, world renowned as one of the top seven botanical gardens on the globe, was high on our South Africa bucket list. We didn't hesitate when our brother, William and his fiancé, Kate offered to check that box on our list and host us for a long weekend at her home in Kenilworth--the closest Cape Town suburb to the Gardens.

Kirstenbosch

The Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens was next up on our itinerary

We arrived in Kenilworth early on Friday evening. Our hosts didn't waste any time getting a head-start on their weekend itinerary. We almost immediately headed off for a lovely dinner at one of their favorite local artisan breweries. The food, and the company, was fabulous. We were off to a great start!

The next morning, we started with some coffee on their peaceful back garden patio, followed by a delicious country breakfast. Time to take the dogs for a walk, and do a little exploring of the local neighborhood.

The relaxing back patio at Kate's house in Kenilworth

The Kenilworth area actually began as a sizable estate that belonged to the van der Stel family. Simon van der Stel was the first Governor of the Dutch Cape Colony. The estate was known as Stellenberg.

The estate was originally granted to a friend of Governor Van der Stel in 1697, and then almost immediately, conveyed to one of van der Stel's sons. The conveyance was quite controversial because The DEIC frowned on grants to family members.

The Cape Dutch-style homestead and its beautifully sculpted gardens are open to the public today. Lord Somerset, another Governor of the Cape, also had a farm in the northern part of Kenilworth. 

Kenilworth, as a Cape Town suburb, really took off after the Kenilworth Racecourse was built in 1882. This racecourse has the distinction of being the oldest horse racing course in South Africa. Today, Kenilworth is a well-established part of the Cape Town landscape.

The Kenilworth Racecourse in Cape Town's centrally located suburb of Kenilworth

Back home, we grabbed our hats to head off on the day's excursion. The excitement was building as we drove to our first-ever visit to the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens.

The Gardens lie at the base of the eastern slopes of Table Mountain, and are part of the Table Mountain National Park. The Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens were established in 1913, and is one of the 10 National Botanical Gardens in South Africa. In 2004, the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens and the Cape Floristic Region were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden is one of the 10 National Botanical Gardens in South Africa & part of the Table Mountain National Park 

This area of the Table Mountain National Park was originally used for timber harvesting by the early Dutch settlers. A gentleman by the name of J. F. Kirsten is said to be the namesake of the gardens--but we can't be sure. He was an influential manager of the land for much of the 18th Century. 

Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens has a strong mission and focus to cultivate and preserve indigenous South African plants. Kirstenbosch houses a large conservatory displaying a variety of plants from the various regions in the country. However, the outdoor gardens are primarily reserved for plants and trees native to the Cape region.

The UNESCO World Heritage Site mission is to preserve South Africa's indigenous plants, with gardens reserved for Western Cape natives

As we entered the parking lot, the familiar red SightSeeing Bus was dropping off a sizable group of tourists.  Adult admission tickets cost about $15 each, and ours were paid for by our generous and gracious hosts. 

The first exhibit before entering into the actual gardens was a display of well-established bonsai trees. This was an assembly of elders, with one of the trees clocking in at more than 160 years old!

We paid our respects to this impressive collection of elder bonsaii trees who have stood the test of time

As we headed up the pathway into the outdoor gardens, we stopped to read the many informational plaques scattered around the grounds. We were very interested to learn more about the early years of the gardens.

The initial iteration of the gardens took about 15 years to set up. That time was largely spent eradicating alien plants and over-grown weeds. Wild pigs roamed all over the area and had to be driven off. Of course, pathways had to be created for visitors to roam the ground. Some of that original paving is still in place today!

The work of the first 50 years was mostly done manually with mules, carts, and trolleys. The steep landscape, although beautifully set against Table Mountain, came with many challenges, but a lot of potential.

The first section of the garden has an impressive diversity of proteas, leucadendrons and serrurias. As we made our way around more gardens, we were impressed by how seamlessly the creators were able to blend the flora into the natural settings on the mountain slopes. 

Kirstenbosch

The gardens blended seamlessly with the natural landscape

Advancing further along the pathway, we arrived at the clearly very popular spots at Main Pond and Main Lawn areas. Several families and small groups were enjoying picnics in this idyllic setting.

The Main Pond is perfectly situated in the middle of the open space. All kinds of lilies and water plants such as the Cape Pond Weed add to the beauty of the area. Guinea Fowls, Egyptian Geese, Cape Francolin, and Marsh Terrapin are often seen around the water.

Along the way, we encountered several sculptures sitting atop the stone walls or on tree stumps. These works of art added another layer of interest to the paths and our journey through the gardens

The sculptures scattered along the path were another layer of interest on our tour through the gardens

We made our way to Matthew's Rockery. This zone is dedicated to xerophytic plants, which are basically succulents that are well-adapted for survival in arid regions. The Rockery was one of the earliest gardens planted by the first Kirstenbosch Gardens curator, Joseph Matthews (1913 - 1936). 

The Rockery is covered in a wide variety of beautiful aloe plants and other succulents--some we hadn't seen anywhere else. The ideal time to see them in their full glory bloom is between May and October. The Candelabra trees were remarkably big and odd-looking. They looked like they came from another planet!

The candelabra tree is a unique specimen and particularly dramatic

Once through the Rockery, we headed to the famous Van Riebeeck's Hedge area.  Jan Van Riebeeck was the first Dutch East India Company (DEIC) leader of the initial Dutch settlement at the Cape. Van Riebeeck was tasked to establish a refreshment station for DEIC sailors en route to the Spice Islands of Indonesia. 

This first European settlement clashed with the indigenous Khoikhoi over grazing rights. The Khoikhoi lands extended all along the base of Table Mountain, and through today's Kirstenbosch Gardens.

Van Riebeeck's Hedge was originally positioned as a boundary to grazing cattle in 1660

Van Riebeeck built fortifications and wooden fences across the area to set a defensive boundary. Indigenous wild almond trees were planted to create hedges to impede the grazing cattle. Sections of the original 1660 hedge can still be seen in this area of the Kirstenbosch Gardens.

Next, we made our way to the Arboretum and the amazing Tree Canopy Walkway. The walkway is nicknamed "Boomslang" because it winds and twists its way through the tree canopy like a snake. "Slang" is Afrikaans for "snake" and is an apt descriptor for the meandering pathway.  

The Tree Canopy Walkway meandered along the treetops and allowed a bird's eye view of the surrounding environment

The Arboretum zone is filled with 450 South African sub-tropical tree species. Here, we walked among the tree tops of White Stinkwood, Cape Saffron, Mountain Hard Pear, and Coral Trees.

The walk through the canopy felt a bit foreign, like we were crashing a party reserved strictly for the lucky creatures who naturally reach these heights. Add to that the soundtrack created by the many winged residents who make this expansive space home. The bird-watching, and listening, is a delight all on its own!  The views of the surrounding hills and mountains added to this rich ambience.

The mountain view backdrop on the Tree Canopy Walkway contributed to the majesty of the landscape

As we dropped back down to the Arboretum forrest floor, we encountered one of the strangest trees of the visit--the Aloe Tree (Aloe Barberae). It was so unexpected in the middle of the sub-tropical forest.

The base trunk looked like any other tree, but the branches and leaves that extend upward from the trunk resemble the lower-lying Aloe plant. This particular tree towered over much of the forest--over 57 feet/18 meters tall! The tree is said to be spectacular in June when it flowers.

The towering aloe tree looked like its low lying counterpart in tree form

Moving along, we passed the Colonel's Bird Bath area. Deputy Colonial Secretary Christopher Bird built this bird-shaped pool in 1811, long before the establishment of the gardens.

The Colonel's Bird Bath was originally designed to collect and clarify natural spring water for consumption in his home. The spring is fed by the Table Mountain aquifer, flowing at a rate of 72 liters per minute! The stone masonry surrounding the spring blends seamlessly with its terrain. The overflow feeds all the surrounding ponds in the Dell.

As we continued to move deeper into the gardens, we reached the natural Cycad Amphitheatre zone. Cycads are a distinct plant family that has many of the characteristics of ferns, palms, and conifers, but these beauties are quite ancient!

Cyads are quite ancient, but only male clones have survived in botanical gardens, and thus will never replicate again

Cycads can live for centuries and are either male of female. The Wood's Cycad in the garden is a clone of the last-surviving Wood's Cycad found in nature, extinct in the wild since 1916. A few hundred survive in botanical gardens, but they are all male copies, and will never naturally replicate in the wild.

The Wood's Cycad population was decimated because people believed the bark had powerful medicinal properties. The stripping of the bark made the plants more prone to disease, hence their demise.

Kirstenbosch has a very active propagation program to ensure the Cycad population is sustained in South Africa. The metal cage around the base protects the plant in service of their mission. The Cycad Living Collection was the first compilation of plants to be established in the gardens. They now have 37 of the 40+ Cycad species known to exist in South Africa. Cycads are heavily protected and regulated today.

This Wood's Cyad is a clone of one found in nature, now extinct in the wild since 1916, and is protected by metal cage fencing

Beyond the Cycad zone, we began a leisurely stroll along the Fynbos Walk. About 68% of the Fynbos species found here are endemic, or unique, to the Cape Floral Kingdom. Interestingly, there are over 8,500 difference species of Fynbos. Because of this huge number of species, the Fynbos of the Western Cape is considered more bio-diverse than even the Amazon Rainforest!

The significant bio-diversity of the Fynbos low-lying shrubbery also lends itself to a spectacular flowering season, which occurs largely between July and December. The Fynbos biome is considered endangered and has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The fynbos of the Western Cape is considered more bio-diverse than even the Amazon Rainforest

As we progressed along the Fynbos Walk, we were immediately drawn to the Protea bushes along the way. The main Protea Garden was one of the first plots to be created in the Kirstenbosch Gardens. The garden boasts an impressive diversity of proteas, also known as sugarbushes due to the excessive amount of nectar the flowers produce.

Proteas are part of the Proteaceae plant family, considered quite ancient in the botanical kingdom. Fossil pollen traces their beginnings to the Upper Cretaceous period 75-80 million years ago! Some say the Protea could be as old as 300 million years, making them one of the oldest flowering plants on the planet. 

Proteas are one of the most ancient flowering plant species on the planet

About 92% of the Protea species are found only in the Cape Floristic Region. There are currently 112 species within the Protea genus. The plants tend to do very well in Mediterranean and sub-tropical zones. They are said to have tremendous recuperative ability after being devastated by fire. 

The King Protea, or Protea Cynaroides, is the most identifiable and iconic South African Protea. Named South Africa's national flower in 1976, the bloom appears on South African birth certificates and passports.  The Proteas, South Africa’s cricket team, also took its name from the genus.

The King Protea is iconic South Africa

As a cultivate, proteas are low-maintenance, and known for attracting a variety of bird species. Blooming is best seen May to October. Our March visit was sadly a bit too early to witness what must be a dazzling explosion of color.

Other famous Fynbos are the Buchu, Rooibos, and Restios Reeds. Parts of the Buchu plant are used to create anti-inflammation medications. Rooibos is brewed as an anti-oxidant tea. Restios Reeds have been widely used across the world for roof thatching.

Restios Reed is used for roof thatching, a quintessential look in Cape Dutch architecture

The shrubbery of the fynbos is home to a significant number and diversity of birds: Orange-Breasted, Malachite, Double-Collared, Sugar Birds, and Dikkop birds are known to inhabit this zone. Undoubtedly, they play an important symbiotic role in the health and balance of the ecosystem. 

Leaving the Fynbos Walk and Fynbos Garden, we passed through the beautiful Erica Garden. These beds feature a collection of more than 700 species of Erica, all from Southern Africa. More commonly, people refer to these species as heathers or heaths. Ericas are beautiful year-round, but the peak blooming period is August through February.

The Erica gardens were beautiful even though it was not their peak flowering season

Erica flowers come in all colors and shapes. The tubular blossoms are most popular with sun birds mining their nectar. The urn- and bell-shaped flowers also tend to attract bees and insects.

We slowly wound our way back to the main Gardens entrance, where we opted for a welcome stop at the Moyo Restaurant. We shared a pitcher of refreshing iced tea, rooibos style, and a delectable little dessert called a Florentine--a crispy round with a dark chocolate base, topped with almond slices and dried fruit, and a honey glaze. So decadent and yummy!

We took a break at the Moyo Restaurant, with iced rooibos tea and decadent Florentines

Reminiscing about our walking tour, we all agreed that we could spend at least two more days exploring all the garden has to offer. There's no doubt the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens should be on every bucket list tour of the Cape. Kirstenbosch ranks as one of the best botanical gardens we've ever visited--worldwide!

That evening we spent some quality time swapping stories about our travels and getting to know Kate better. It seems we all had the travel bug real bad! Heading to bed with dreams of adventure in our heads, it was time to catch some z's.

Up Next:  A Revealing Tour of South Africa's Groot Constantia Wine Estate 

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