The Jerusalem Botanical Gardens is a pristine arboretum in the heart of Jerusalem. Originally planned as the successor to the National Botanic Garden of Israel on Mount Scopus, the Jerusalem Botanical Gardens is my go-to place in Jerusalem if you want to learn about the Flora of Israel!
Credit: Instagram – Jerusalem Botanical Gardens
The Jerusalem Botanical Graden spans 30 acres and is home to Israel’s most extensive collection of live plants – an impressive collection of over 6,000 species and varieties of plants worldwide. The gardens are displayed geographically in six phytogeographical sections: Southern Africa, Europe, North America, Australia, South-West, and Central Asia, and the Mediterranean. These sections simulate the area’s natural landscapes, so the garden is always in bloom.
The Jerusalem Botanical Graden has a Japanese section containing over 150 bonsai trees, the largest concentrated collection of bonsai trees in the world. The 500-meter-long “Bible Path” is planted with most of the 70 species that scientists have identified as some of the 400 types of plants mentioned in the Bible.
Educational Center for Horticulture
The Jerusalem Botanical Gardens serve as an education, learning, and research center. It aims to inspire responsible custodianship of plant diversity within the environment. The Gardens act as a living gene bank to protect endangered plants in Israel and beyond and educate them about them. More than 300 locally endangered species are also grown in the gardens.
The climate in Jerusalem enables the cultivation of plants from a wide range of habitats and climates. Introduced plants are assessed for their potential use in horticulture, forestry, agriculture, medicine, and conservation.
The Gardens School of Horticulture provides courses and workshops in gardening, garden therapy, native flora, medicinal plants, and more.
Botanical Gardens in Tel Aviv
Jerusalem Botanical Gardens: Activities and Events
The Jerusalem botanical gardens host festivals with workshops and activities during the summer and holidays. During the winter, they host special weekend activities for families. There is also a Garden Train for kids to enjoy.
Jerusalem Botanical Gardens: Discovery Trail
The Jerusalem Botanical Gardens Discovery Trail is an exciting hands-on trail for kids, which explores water, earth, and plants. The path takes kids from station to station and allows them to play with the water, build with the earth and explore the plant life.
Visitor Information
Wintertime
Sundays through Thursdays, 9.00-17.00
Fridays and holiday eves, 9.00-15.00
Saturdays and holidays, 9.00-17.00
Summertime:
Sundays through Thursdays, 9.00-19.00
Fridays and holiday eves, 9.00-17.00
Saturday and holidays, 9.00-18.00
(Hours may be changed for special events – please check the website).
