Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden Renews Level IV Accreditation from Arbnet Accreditation Program

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden in Cape Town has renewed its Level IV Accreditation by the ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program and the Morton Arboretum. Amongst 2611 accredited arboretum in the Morton Register of Arboreta, Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden is one of the 45 botanical gardens accredited at level IV. The ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program is the only global initiative to officially recognize arboreta at various levels of development, capacity, and professionalism. Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden is yet again recognized as an accredited arboretum in the Morton Register of Arboreta, a database of the world’s arboreta and gardens dedicated to woody plants.

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden is acclaimed as one of the great botanical gardens of the world. Few gardens can match the sheer grandeur of the setting of Kirstenbosch, against the eastern slopes of Cape Town’s Table Mountain.

The Kirstenbosch woody species collections can be grouped according to their conservation classification (threat status), species of economic value, ecological keystone species, species of ornamental value, and cultural or spiritual value the latter of which would include their important medicinal use. Species of conservation concern include the threatened Prunus africana (African almond), Leucadendron argenteum (silver tree), Ocotea bullata (black stinkwood), Widdringtonia wallichii(clanwilliam cedar), Widdringtonia schwartzii (willowmore cedar), Warburgia salutaris, as well as Kirstenbosch historic trees such as the 365 years old Brabejum stellatifolium (wild almond), the camphor trees (Camphora officinarum) with moreton bay figs (Ficus macrophylla) in the avenue, dating back to 1898, and the ancient gymnosperms species of Podocarpus and Afrocarpus including “the living fossil” Ginko biloba (Maidenhair tree) planted in 1913. The cultivation and curation of these special tree collections contribute to the South African National Biodiversity Institute’s overall mandate ‘To explore, reveal, celebrate, and champion biodiversity for the benefit and enjoyment of all South Africans’. To this end, conservation projects that involve restoration and horticultural research plays an integral part in the protection of trees and collaborating with partners on these projects is key as it allows for exchanging experiences, resources, knowledge and diverse expertise. Kirstenbosch is currently leading a woody tree conservation project, in attempting to establish a viable and reliable propagation protocols of one of the most challenging trees in South Africa, the Brackenridgea zanguebarica (yellow peeling plane), critically endangered and highly sought after for its medicinal and cultural/ spiritual use in Venda Limpopo South Africa.

The team behind the upholding of these standards is the arboretum section team led by Mr. Mpendulo Gabayi who is a senior horticulturist and a curator of the arboretum section. He is responsible formanaging and implementing innovative strategies to develop the Arboretum, trees and shrubs, through researching, identifying, targeting, developing, documenting the South African trees, and taking lead in promoting conservation, ensuring the botanical integrity of the collection. He is also responsible for managing, coaching, mentoring and developing the Arboretum staff, including local and international horticultural students, engaging in collaborative garden and conservation-based projects with internal/ external stakeholders. The dedicated propagation specialist Mr. Thobela Goniwe who is responsible for assist the horticulturist, managing the woody trees and shrubs collection by maintaining and developing the collection, performing tasks such as pest control, propagation, potting, feeding in the nursery. The two passionate garden based horticultural conservation workers Mr. Mfundo Mkungo and Ms. Anati Mphakathi, they are responsible for maintaining and developing the Arboretum garden section to meet SANBI's mission to promote the sustainable use and conservation of South African flora, through creative displays, with tasks such as planting, composting, feeding, pruning, and other general horticultural tasks. They are assisted by our temporal staff and students, Ms. Nande Mtshiza, Ms. Silindokuhle Myataza, Ms. Nandim Ncuka-ncuka and Ms. Sisanda Mbambo. 

Once again, we are thrilled and grateful to have consistently been recognised as one of the botanical gardens in the world for upholding high standards in the curations of our tree collection. We believe that this paves the way for more progressive conservation and collaborative work on South African woody collections at Kirstenbosch 

About Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden 

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden is one of the eleven national botanical and zoological gardens administered by the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) which leads and coordinates research, and monitors and reports on the state of biodiversity in South Africa. The institute provides knowledge and information, gives planning and policy advice and pilots best-practice management models in partnership with stakeholders. SANBI engages in ecosystem restoration and rehabilitation, leads the human capital development strategy of the sector and manages the National Botanical and Zoological Gardens as ‘windows’ to South Africa’s biodiversity for enjoyment and education.

About ArbNet

ArbNet is an interactive, collaborative, international community of arboreta. ArbNet facilitates the sharing of knowledge, experience, and other resources to help arboreta meet their institutional goals and works to raise professional standards through the ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program. The accreditation program, sponsored and coordinated by The Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Illinois in cooperation with American Public Gardens Association and Botanic Gardens Conservation International, is the only global initiative to officially recognize arboreta based on a set of professional standards. The program offers four levels of accreditation, recognizing arboreta of various degrees of development, capacity and professionalism. Standards include planning, governance, public access, programming and tree science, planting and conservation. More information is available at www.arbnet.org.