A whisper of history brushes against your ears. Welcome to the Jardim Botânico de Lisboa. This isn’t just a garden. It’s a living testament to centuries of botanical exploration.
Imagine 1859. The Escola Politécnica needed a practical teaching tool. A place where botany could flourish. They chose Monte Olivete. A spot with over two centuries of botanical tradition. The Jardim Botânico de Lisboa began to take shape.
The first gardeners were German and French. Edmund Goeze and Jules Daveau. They brought plants from around the globe. Many came from places under Portuguese colonial rule. It showcased Portugal’s imperial power. Goeze focused on the upper garden. He planted dicotyledons and gymnosperms. Daveau tackled the lower area. He designed the Alameda das Palmeiras. He created an irrigation system. He added monocotyledons.
The Jardim Botânico de Lisboa opened in 1878. It features tropical species. Plants from New Zealand Australia China Japan and South America thrive here. The design is clever. The garden’s natural slope creates different microclimates. This allows a vast array of plants to prosper.
In 2010 the Jardim Botânico de Lisboa became a National Monument. Sadly neglect followed. Lakes dried up. Plants withered. The garden closed in 2016. Renovations began. Lisbon’s Participatory Budget funded the restoration. Five hundred thousand euros later the Jardim Botânico de Lisboa reopened in 2018.
Look around you. Notice the diversity. The palms from every continent. The cycads ancient plants. Living fossils from the age of dinosaurs. Some cycads are only found in botanical gardens.
See that impressive dragon tree? Legend links it to Hercules’ eleventh labor. Each drop of the hundred-headed dragon’s blood created a dragon tree. The reddish sap supports the legend.
Find the bust of Bernardino António Gomes. A doctor pharmacologist and botanist. He studied plants’ medicinal uses. He believed in the power of nature’s remedies.
The Jardim Botânico de Lisboa isn’t merely a pretty place. It serves vital educational and environmental roles. It is a repository of biodiversity. A place where endangered species find refuge. It helps Lisbon’s environment by providing a microclimate and absorbing carbon dioxide.
Take your time here. Explore the paths. Marvel at the plants. The Jardim Botânico de Lisboa. A green heart in Lisbon. A treasure for all to enjoy.