Leiden Botanical Garden

Head Gardener's Comment

The Hortus botanicus is the oldest

botanical garden in the Netherlands and

located in the historical centre of Leiden.

Behind the academy building of the

University of Leiden you will discover

a green oasis with a large collection of

plants native to South-east and East Asia,

Southern Europe and South Africa.

The Hortus is a haven within the city

centre, a historical monument and a

meeting place full of character. People

come here to relax, enjoy the seasons or

to learn more about the diversity of the

vegetable plant.

History

In 1590 the Hortus was founded by the

University of Leiden. In 1594 Carolus Clusius

(1526 - 1609) turned it into a medicinal herb

garden. But Clusius introduced the tulip

and many other plants to the Hortus.

These flowers and plants became known

throughout Western Europe.

A living museum

There are more than ten thousand botanical

species and dozens of bird species growing

and living in the Hortus. For more than

four centuries and to this day plants from

all corners of the world are collected and

cultivated in the garden and greenhouses

for research, education and exhibition

purposes.

The current Front Garden is the oldest part

of the Hortus. It was founded in 1590 and

houses the Clusius garden which is a reconstruction

of the garden of 1594. Here you

will also find the Winter Garden which has

a large collection of Cycades and carnivorous

plants. The Hortus also has a monumental

Orangery dating from 1744 and

extensive tropical greenhouses, many old

trees, a beautiful Fern Garden, Rosarium,

Japanese Garden, Herb Garden, Nut Field

and System Garden. Many famous

international scientists such as Clusius,

Boerhaave, Linnaeus and Einstein were

connected to the Hortus botanicus in

Leiden. In the 19th century the German

physician Philipp Franz von Siebold

(1796 - 1866) brought hundreds of plant

species with him from Japan to the

Netherlands and 15 of these original

introductions can still be found in the

Hortus today.

Research and education

The Hortus botanicus in Leiden has always

been a garden where students come to

study plants. Scientists of the Hortus are

cooperating with NCB Naturalis

(Netherlands Centre for Biodiversity

Naturalis) to write research on plant

species. The Hortus also plays an important

role in the cultivation and preservation

of endangered species. Dutch and foreign

botanical gardens are cooperating and

exchanging material in order to preserve

these threatened species.

Plants of Note

Carnivorous plants, orchids, Ginkgo bilabo, Amorphophallus titanum, Victoria amazonica etc.