Ghent University Botanical Garden

Ghent University Botanical Garden is one of Belgium's oldest scientific institutions of its kind, run by Ghent University and covering 2.75 hectares near the heart of the city. It holds a living collection of more than 10,000 plant species, ranging from temperate-climate specimens grown outdoors to tropical and subtropical plants kept in dedicated greenhouses.

How did the garden come to exist?

The garden's roots go back to the late 18th century. After Napoleon's forces occupied the Southern Netherlands, Ghent became the capital of the Scheldt and Lys department, and local authorities set up an "école centrale" — a central school equipped with a library, natural science collections, practical instruments, and a botanical garden. The former herb garden opened on 19 July 1797, with Bernard Coppens serving as its first director. Since a royal decree issued in 1816, the university's professor of botany has automatically served as the garden's director as well — an arrangement that still holds today and reflects how tightly the garden is woven into the university's academic structure.

Why did the garden move location?

The garden hasn't always stood where it stands now. As the university grew and its plant collections expanded, the original site could no longer accommodate the needs of research and teaching. The garden has occupied its current location since 1902, a move that allowed for a more deliberate layout of pathways, thematic plant sections, and greenhouse buildings suited to both scientific and educational purposes.

What can visitors find in the collection?

At the core of the garden is a living collection spanning more than 10,000 species — outdoor trees and shrubs, herb and systematic beds, and greenhouse plants that require carefully controlled humidity and temperature. Beyond the living collection, the garden also maintains a herbarium of preserved plants, fruits, and fungi with significant scientific value, along with a seed bank that supports biodiversity conservation and research into germination and long-term storage of plant material.

What role does the garden play today?

The garden is far more than a place for a quiet walk — it functions as an active research resource used by Ghent University as well as other national and international scientific institutions. Its plant collections, herbarium, and seed bank support work in taxonomy, ecology, and the conservation of threatened species. The garden is also part of the Ghent University Museum (GUM), which since opening in 2020 has brought together different scientific disciplines to show visitors what the research process actually looks like — including its uncertainties and setbacks.

Frequently asked questions

Is Ghent University Botanical Garden open to visitors? Yes. As part of Ghent University and its affiliated museum, the garden serves both an educational and a public outreach role and can be visited.

How many plant species grow here? The collection includes more than 10,000 species, distributed across the outdoor grounds and the greenhouses.

When was the garden founded, and has it always been in the same spot? It was founded in 1797, but it has only occupied its current location since 1902, following a relocation from its original site.

What sets this garden apart from an ordinary city park? Beyond its recreational value, the garden serves a scientific function — maintaining a living collection, a herbarium, and a seed bank used in research by the university and other institutions.