Photo by Albert Keshet, courtesy of the Jerusalem Botanical Gardens
1985
Where can one find more than seven thousand species of plants from Australia, South Africa, Europe, North America, Southwest and Central Asia, and the Mediterranean gathered within a single stretch of land? Tucked into a quiet corner of Jerusalem lies just such a place. The Jerusalem Botanical Gardens at Givat Ram bring together plant life from across the globe within roughly thirty-five acres of cultivated landscape, offering visitors the rare experience of moving between distant ecological worlds in the span of a single walk.
The gardens were established during the 1980s on land adjacent to the Givat Ram campus of the Hebrew University. What had once been an undeveloped tract of land was gradually transformed into a botanical garden through a partnership that reflected Jerusalem’s civic spirit. From its earliest days the project brought together the Hebrew University, the Jerusalem Foundation, the Jerusalem Municipality, the Jewish National Fund, and the family of the South African philanthropist Mendel Kaplan. Their shared aim was to create a space that would serve both scientific research and the broader public while enriching the city with a major green landscape.
Today the Jerusalem Botanical Gardens unfold as a mosaic of global flora. The plant collections are organized into geographic sections representing regions such as the Mediterranean basin, South Africa, Australia, Asia, and North America. Jerusalem’s climate, with cool winters and hot summers, allows species from many of these regions to grow side by side. The result is a living botanical atlas where visitors move gradually from one landscape to another. Groves of trees and flowering shrubs give way to open lawns, winding paths, and a central lake crossed by wooden bridges. Seasonal changes bring shifting colors as different plants bloom throughout the year, while a new entrance pavilion, completed in 2026, now welcomes visitors into the gardens.
The gardens also play an important role in plant conservation and research. A remarkable proportion of rare and endangered plant species from across the Middle East are cultivated here. Researchers study methods of propagation and water-efficient cultivation that help protect fragile ecosystems. Knowledge developed in Jerusalem is shared with botanical gardens and research centers around the world.
Yet the gardens are far more than a scientific institution. They function as one of Jerusalem’s most welcoming public spaces. More than a quarter of a million visitors arrive each year to walk the trails, relax beside the water, or attend cultural events. Seasonal programs have become part of the city’s cultural rhythm. Winter evenings glow with the popular light festival that transforms the pathways and trees into a luminous spectacle. Throughout the year fairs, performances, and family activities draw large audiences.
Education and community engagement form another important dimension of the gardens. Programs for schoolchildren from both East and West Jerusalem introduce young visitors to the natural world through environmental learning. Adults participate in courses on topics ranging from gardening to ecology, while the gardens also help establish community gardens throughout Jerusalem, many located in schools and neighborhood centers.
Therapeutic programs also take place among the greenery. Veterans coping with trauma, children with special needs, and young people at risk take part in activities that use the natural environment as a setting for healing and personal growth. Older volunteers contribute their time in the gardens and conservatory and participate in lectures and workshops that deepen their connection to the landscape.
As the seasons change and the landscape shifts with new blossoms, colors, and scents, the Jerusalem Botanical Gardens continue to serve as a center for research and conservation, a place of learning and healing, and a green refuge where visitors come simply to enjoy the restorative power of nature.
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