The 10 Oldest Botanical Gardens in the World (#1 Is Almost 500 Years Old!)

Our world is absolutely amazing. There is so much history out there that we are still discovering to this day. Some plants are thousands of years old. Scientists and archaeologists have discovered entire civilizations buried underground.

The history of the world is complex and perplexing. One of the most stunningly beautiful things in the world are flowers, trees, and plants. After all, nature is what keeps this world going. How we breathe is because of trees. In coming up with the idea of a botanical garden, humans were able to devote time to studying plants and for them to have a quiet place to reflect on life.

Today, there are thousands of botanical gardens located throughout the world. Some of them are only a few years old and others are centuries old. Let’s take a look at the 10 oldest botanical gardens in the world still currently in use. The oldest one is almost 500 years old!

10. Jardin des plantes de Montpellier

The Botanical Garden in Montpellier, France, is the oldest botanical garden in the country. It was in 1593 that King Henri IV decided that he wanted to create a Royal Garden used for medicinal plant research. He asked botanist Pierre Richer de Belleval to model the botanical garden after the one in Padua. Over time, the Botanical Garden in Montpellier has been updated and expanded. Today, the Jardin des plantes de Montpellier covers about 11 acres and there are over 2,680 plant species.

9. Hortus Botanicus Leiden

Students at the University of Leiden in the Netherlands wanted to create a garden to study medicinal plants. They decided to go ask the mayor of Leiden to see if the project could be financed. Finally, three years later, the Hortus Botanicus of Leiden opened. It was Carolus Clusius who was appointed as the garden’s prefect. The Botanical Garden at the University of Leiden started with fantastic plant species. The Dutch East India Company helped to collect different types of plants from the Dutch colonies located throughout the world.

8. Botanical Garden of the University of Basel

Founded in 1589 by Casper Bauhin, the Botanical Garden of the University of Basel is located in the historic center of the Swiss city. Moreover, the botanical garden spans a total of almost 2.5 acres of land. It also houses more than 7,500 species of plants from all over the world.

7. Botanischer Garten Jena

The Jena Botanical Garden (as it is pronounced in English) is noted to be the second-oldest Botanical Garden in Germany. The faculty in the medical department of the university wanted to study medicinal plants, as was common in those days. Therefore, in 1586 the Jena Botanical Garden was formed. Moreover, several expansions happened over the years. Today, the Jena Botanical Garden is a whopping 11 acres and it is part of a larger institute that studies plants and biology. There are more than 12,000 species of plants throughout the garden.

6. Leipzig Botanical Garden

The Leipzig Botanical Garden in Germany was founded in 1580. However, according to the botanical garden’s historical pages, it was in 1542 that a Dominican monastery was taken to the university. The university then decided to maintain the garden and study the plants for medicinal purposes. The botanical garden has been moved several times throughout the centuries and was actually destroyed in World War II. The botanical garden has been in the same location since 1876 and was renovated during the 1990s.

5. Botanical Garden of the University of Valencia

Although the current Botanical Garden of the University of Valencia was founded in 1802, the botanical garden traces its roots back to the 16th century. It was in 1548 that the university decided to create a position to study medicinal plants. Twelve years later, Joan Plaça was appointed Doctor of Medicine and was given a small garden to grow plants to study them and teach about them. The garden was destroyed a few times throughout the decades and even a flood completely eviscerated it in 1957. However, in the 1960s, the city and university rebuilt the garden and a research building joined the space in 2000, totaling nearly 10 acres.

4. Old Botanical Garden

The Old Botanical Garden in Zurich, Switzerland, started as a tiny little garden that belonged to Conrad Gessner. About 200 years later, a descendant of his, Johannes Gessner, along with the Zurich Botanical Society, founded the first Botanical Garden in Zurich. Furthermore, several remodels and expansions took place over the centuries. Today, the Old Botanical Garden serves multiple purposes — from a garden to a recreational area, a museum, and a pavilion for events.

3. Botanical Garden of Florence

Founded in 1545, the Botanical Garden of Florence is the third oldest botanical garden in the world. Its main purpose, just like the botanical gardens of the current time, was to study the benefits of medicinal plants to create remedies. Furthermore, the garden has been revamped and expanded several times throughout the centuries. Today, the botanical garden is nearly 6 acres big and has several thousand plant species, as well as centuries-old trees.

2. Botanical Garden of Padua

The Botanical Garden of Padua claims to be the oldest in the world, but it is the second-oldest. The reason for its claim is that the Botanical Garden of Pisa has never been moved from its original location. Moreover, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which was designated in 1997. Founded in 1545, the Botanical Garden of Padua was built by the Senate of the Venetian Republic and designed by the famous Italian architect Daniele Barbaro. The purpose of the garden was to grow medicinal plants and have students study them. The botanical garden houses more than 6,000 species of plants.

1. Botanical Garden of Pisa

Although the Botanical Garden of Padua claims to be the oldest in the world, it is the Botanical Garden of Pisa that is, in fact, the oldest one. The botanical garden was founded in 1544 and the botanist Luca Ghini became the first prefect. Over the past several centuries, the garden has been moved several times. Today, the garden’s acreage also houses a botanical school, several greenhouses, gardens, ponds, and other buildings.

Summary of the 10 Oldest Botanical Gardens in the World