Know, grow, protect and enjoy South Africa's indigenous plants
Location: Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
Kirstenbosch Branch
Kirstenbosch Branch officially began in 1985, but its roots go all the way back to the inception of Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden in 1913. The Botanical Society of South Africa was constituted to provide support for Kirstenbosch, and ever since, volunteers have been instrumental in keeping the gardens in good times and bad.
About the branch
Today, this thriving branch has over 10 000 members, and its activities still prioritise strong volunteer support at Kirstenbosch – from offering guided tours and running the bookshop to working in the propagation facilities, BotSoc volunteers are integral to the success of South Africa’s most famous garden. Other branch activities include regular walks, talks, hacks, wildflower shows, educational outreach, and hugely popular annual plant sale.
About the Area
Kirstenbosch is an iconic botanical garden located in one of the most beautiful parts of the world, on the slopes of Table Mountain, a World Heritage Site in Cape Town. However, this branch’s territory is much larger than its namesake garden. The Kirstenbosch Branch encompasses the Cape Town CBD area and surrounding suburbs in the north right down to the Cape Peninsula area in the south. Cape Town is located within a Conservation International biodiversity hotspot and is home to 19 distinct vegetation types, including multiple types of Sand Fynbos, Granite Fynbos, Shale Fynbos, Alluvium Fynbos, and Renosterveld, as well as Cape Flats Dune Strandveld, Southern Afrotemperate Forest and Cape Lowland Freshwater Wetland. Due to the highly developed level of the area, a large focus of this branch is on urban conservation and conservation gardening.
Cool Facts
1.
The Kirstenbosch Summer Sunset Concerts have become a staple in the Capetonian entertainment diary, but did you know these events were first started by the Kirstenbosch Branch in the early 90s as a fundraiser for the garden? The popularity of the concerts grew in scale until it was so large that Kirstenbosch management had to take them on.
2.
The R12million Millenium Project, one of the branch’s most successful, saw the acquisition of further land for Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, construction of the Conservatory (and the cost of moving and installing a 7-ton Baobab tree!), new Visitor’s Centre including the bookshop, refurbishment of the Collections Nursery, as well as a new Garden Centre, Tea Room and ‘marquee lawn’ for functions.
3.
During the two world wars of the 21st Century, members of this branch kept Kirstenbosch afloat by collecting acorns and firewood from the garden, and selling them to the public.
4.
There are many places to view the natural wonders of Cape Town: Blaauwberg Nature Reserve, Bothasig Fynbos Nature Reserve, Cape Point National Park, De Hel Nature Area, Edith Stephens Wetland Park, False Bay Nature Reserve, Rietvlei Wetland Reserve, Rondebosch Common, Rondevlei Nature Reserve, Table Bay Nature Reserve, Table Mountain National Park, Tygerberg Nature Reserve, Wolfgat Nature Reserve, and Zandvlei Estuary Nature Reserve.
Latest National News
Contact your branch to network in the following areas:
Albany
Algoa
Cederberg
Free State
Garden Route
Gauteng
Kirstenbosch
Kogelberg
KZN Coastal
KZN Inland
Limpopo
Lowveld
Southern Overberg
Weskus
Winelands
Hours
Open Monday to Friday 10h00 to 14h00. Closed on weekends and public holidays.
The National BotSoc office will be closed on Friday 6 December 2024.
The National BotSoc office will close for the festive break from 12:00 (midday) on 24 December 2024 to 3 January 2025, and reopen 6 January 2025.
Contact Us
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