On an area of 2,75 ha with over 4000 m² of greenhouses you can admire a wide variety of plants and flowers.
Approximately 8000 species from all over the world have been arranged in several thematic collections. All these plants flower in different seasons so that during each visit only a restricted number of plants are at their best.

GARDEN

Close to the gate you will find a few remarkable American needle-leafed trees, the Common Baldcypress or Swamp-cypress, the Giant tree or Sequoiadendron giganteum and the Monkey Puzzle or Araucaria araucana.
The border along the north-eastern fence contains beautiful specimens of Camelia and Rhododendron, as well as other Ericaceous plants.
The rock garden contains alpine plants from Europe, Asia and America.

A systematic collection of approximately 250 species of Belgian plants is arranged in front of the university building.
At the edge of the pond, you will find a limited collection of medicinal herbs. The Dicotyledon collection comprises approximately 1000 species.
Near the big glass-houses is a collection of Monocotyledons of approximately 300 species.
The arboretum along the Clauslaan contains typical trees, bushes and herbs from temperate areas in Asia, Europe and North America.
There are a few handsome specimens of the Tulip-tree (Liriodendron) and a Canada Hemlock on the lawn in front of the conservator's house (private).

GREEN-HOUSES

In the Victoria green-house, an equatorial climate prevails and the attention is caught at once by the big waterlilies as well as by the large climbers and various tropical food-plants such as coffee, rice, cacao, sugarcane, cotton and many others.

The subtropical hot-house holds Mediterranean as well as south African, Australian and East Asian plants. Here you will find the Corck oak, the Castor-oil tree (Ricinus). Eucalyptus and several Citrus species, the Tea plant (Camelia Sinensis), The Pomegranate (Punica Granatum) the Camphor tree, etc.

From a landing you can overlook the tropical hot-house, with the banana (Musa) and the rubber tree (Hevea) in the foreground, fan-leafed palm-trees will also draw your attention. Under the landing, elegant ferns and Marantacea catch the eye. Walking around you will see the kapok tree with its big spiny trunk, the South American Yerba mate, the Cinnamon tree, the Sago palm (Cycas revoluta), the mango tree, the traveler's tree (Ravenala madagascarienses), the leather-coat leaf tree (Coccoloba), the giant Strelitzia, the cola nut tree, etc.

You can visit the cactus hot-house on Sundays and Public Holidays from 11 to 12 AM. A wide variety of succulent "fleshy" plants that have adapted themselves to dry environments, from Pereskia- and Rodo-cacti to the Aloe-species are on show.

HISTORY

The Botanical Garden was founded as a part of the "Ecole Centrale", under the French rule in 1797, it was situated in the former abbey of Baudeloo. At the instigation of Charles Van Hulthem, the Botanical Garden was attached to the city in 1804. In 1817, under the government of Willian I (Dutch rule), the Gent university was founded and the Botanical Garden was placed at the disposal of the university.

The Botanical Garden was transferred from the "Baudeloogarden" to the "Citadel Park" around 1903. The glass-houses at the new premises

OPENING HOURS

Admission hours and entrance fees : VisitGent.be

ACCESS

The Botanical Garden of the University is situated opposite the International Congress Center at the corner of the Ledeganckstraat and the Clauslaan.
The Botanical Garden of the University of Gent is easy to access via the motorways E17 and E40, exits either UZ (University Hospital) or Zwijnaarde or Gent Sint Pieters/Sint Denijs Westrem.
The railway station of Sint-Pieters is situated within walking distance (approx. 1 km) from the Botanical Garden.
Buses lines 9, 70, 71 and 90 as well as 53A, 55B, 58A,59A1, 681, 682, 683 and 688 have stops at the ICC (International Congress Centre). Lines 5, 50, 51 and 52 will take you to the "Heuvelpoort", from where it is only 5 minutes walk to the Botanical Garden.

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