The National Botanic Garden of Zimbabwe

The National Botanic Garden of Zimbabwe is the main ex situ indigenous plant conservation centre in the country. The botanic garden falls under the National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, an institute of the Department of Research and Extension Services, Ministry of Lands, Agriculture and Rural Resettlement. The 67-ha garden is located about 4 km north of the Harare City Centre within the suburb of Alexandra Park. It receives a wide spectrum of visitors that includes student groups, tourists, and researchers.

The Botanic Garden’s layout makes it conveniently suited for educational, research, and recreational purposes, while at the same time serving the purpose of conserving the indigenous flora of Zimbabwe. The greater part of the garden is dedicated to the Zimbabwean flora, housing approximately 80% of the indigenous woody plant species of the country.

The garden is divided into the following sections:

The Zimbabwean Section is arranged according to ecological zones.

The Systematic Collections comprise selected taxa from the continent.

The Exotic Sections of the garden hold tropical plant collections arranged according to their areas of origin.

The African Savanna Woodland Section is a collection of plants from the African savanna areas (with the exclusion of Zimbabwe).

Forest plants from the African continent make up the African Forest Section, and forest plants from South Africa comprise the South African Rainforest Collection.

Collections of succulents from Africa and the New World comprise the Succulent Section. Plants from arid zones of southern Africa are kept in the Desert House.

The Economic Section is a collection of plants of economic importance from the world over.

A collection of herbs used by people for various purposes makes up the Herb Garden.

The Ornamental Collection surrounds the herbarium building.

You can also read more about our garden maintenance.

Zimbabwean Section
The Zimbabwean Section comprises collections of plants arranged to depict the main vegetation types of Zimbabwe.

Natural Miombo Woodland—This collection consists of the natural vegetation of the area as it was before the development of the garden. Mature specimens of musasa (Brachystegia spiciformis) and munhondo (Julbernadia globiflora), the dominant species of the Zimbabwean Miombo, grow in this section of the garden.

Open Miombo Woodland/Highveld Savanna—This is a collection of trees commonly occurring in the highveld area. The common genera in this type of woodland are Brachystegia and Julbernadia. Prominent species in this collection are musasa (Brachystegia speciformis), mountain acacia (B. glaucescens), munhondo (Julbernadia globiflora), and muwanga (Pericopsis angolensis).

Highveld Riverine—This is a collection of plants from the riverine areas in the highveld. Growing in this collection are willow rhus (Rhus lancea), Natal milk plum (Englerophytum magalismontanum), wild olive (Olea europea subp. africana), and river combretum (Combretum erythrophylum).

Lowveld Zambezi Valley—Contained in this collection are plants from the hot, semi-arid Zambezi Valley area in the north of the country. Zambezi teak (Baikiaea plurijuga), manketti-nut (Schinziophyton rautanenii), tick tree (Sterculia africana), jesse bush (Combretaceae-dominated thickets), false mopanes (Guibortia coleosperma and G. conjugata), and torch-wood (Balanites maughanii) grow here.

Lowveld Save-Limpopo Valley—This is a collection of plants from the hot semi-arid Save-Limpopo Valley area in the south of the country. The species composition of this vegetation is very similar to that of the Zambezi Valley area. Of note here is a fine specimen of the baobab (Adansonia digitata), as well as tamboti (Spirostachys africana) and mopane (Colophospermum mopane).

Lowveld Riverine—This collection is of plants from the riverine areas of the lowveld. Trees growing in this collection include ilala palm (Hyphaene pertesiana), natal mahogany (Trichilia emetica), and ebony (Diospyros mespiliformis).

Low Altitude Rainforest—This forest is modelled on the Haron-Makurupini Forest in the Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe. Striking species in this section include giant red mahogany (Khaya anthotheca), forest ordeal tree (Erythrophleum suaveolens), and mujajaira (Newtonia buchananii).

Medium Altitude Rainforest—Modelled on the Chirinda Forest, this collection contains almost all the tree species from that area. The forest fever tree (Anthocleista grandiflora), brown-berry fluted milk wood (Chrysophylum gorungosum), and the massive strangler fig (Ficus roko) are grown here.

High Altitude Rainforest—This rainforest is modelled to depict the montane vegetation of the Eastern Highlands. An artificial mountain stream cascades through a small valley flanked with forest ferns. Some of the trees in this area are the emergent forest albizia (Albizia schimperana), the parasol tree (Polyscias fulva), and yellowwood (Podocarpus latifolia).

Forest Margins—This collection comprises plants from the margins of forests in the Eastern Highlands area. Prominent species in this area include muranga (Warburgia salutaris), bivinia (Bivinia jalbertii), pink dombeya (Dombeya burgessiae), and the rare northern mountain bamboo (Oreombambos buchwaldii).

The Lake—Aquatic and marginal plants grow in and around this artificial lake, including water lilies (Nymphaea nouchali), bulrushes (Typha capensis), and the Okavango water fig (Ficus verruculosa).

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Systematic Section
Combretaceae—This section is devoted to all the Combretaceae genera from southern tropical Africa: Combretum, Terminalia, Pteleopsis, and Meistemon. Included are some Zimbabwean species, such as mususu (Terminalia sericea), soft-leaved combretum (Combretum molle), and lead-wood (Combretum imberbe).

Acacia—This collection contains Acacia species from Zimbabwe and adjacent countries. Plants growing in this section and occurring in Zimbabwe include fever acacia (Acacia xanthophloea), Nyanga flat-top (Acacia abyssinica), and camel thorn (Acacia erioloba).

Ficus—Growing in this section is a collection of fig species from the African continent. The following figs that occur in Zimbabwe are also included: Zambezi rapids fig (Ficus cyathistipula), strangler fig (Ficus thoningii), and lowveld fig (Ficus stuhlmanii).

Brachystegia—This section is devoted to the Zimbabwean Brachystegia species, including Brachystegia spiciformis, B. boehmii, and B. glaucescens.

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Exotic Section
This section contains collections of trees from tropical areas with climatic conditions that are similar to our own.

Asian Collection—Of note amongst the plants growing in this collection are Burma teak (Tectonia grandiis), Indian terminalia (Terminalia bellerica), and yellow flame tree (Peltophorum pterocarpum).

Australian Collection—Species to be found in this collection include the cajeput tree (Melaleuca quinquenervia), the eucalypt (Eucalyptus toreliana), and the Australian flame tree (Brachychiton aceriformis).

South American Collection—South American trees in this section include the leopard tree (Caesalpinia ferea), Tabebua impetiginosa, Erythrina fulculta, and monkey-puzzle (Araucaria angustifolia).

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African Savanna Woodland Section
Growing in this section is a collection of trees and shrubs from East, West, and southern Africa, excluding Zimbabwe. The section features pink jacaranda (Stereospermum kunthianum) and Zambian albizia (Albizia coriaria).

African Rainforest
This is a collection of forest plants from the African continent. Occurring in this section are burttdavya (Burttdavya nyassica), feverberry (Croton megalocarpus), and the African flame tree (Spathodea campanulata).

South African Rainforest
Growing in this area are bastard umzimbeet (Milletia sutherlandii), mountain cedar (Widdringtonia nodiflora), Natal strelitzia (Strelitzia nicolai), and wild pear (Harpephyllum caffrum).

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Succulent Section
African Succulent Collection—This is a collection of succulents from the African continent. Striking species grown in this collection include the Sabi star (Adenium multiflorum), milkwoods (Euphorbia spp.), and the Madagascan alluaudia (Alluaudia procera).

New World Succulents—This collection comprises mainly cacti from central and Sou