Durban Botanic Gardens

Established in 1849 as a trial ground for crops that might grow in the colony, the Durban gardens are the oldest botanical institution in Africa still operating on its original site. About fifteen hectares of subtropical planting includes a large orchid house, a palm collection, a sunken garden and an old fig avenue. The specimen with the most weight is a cycad, Encephalartos woodii, planted here from material collected in 1895 - the species is extinct in the wild and every known plant is male, propagated by offsets from that one original stem, so it cannot reproduce and has been called the loneliest plant in the world. The garden also holds one of the older cycad collections anywhere. Entry is free, the lawns are used by the city, and there is a tea garden. It is an urban park as much as a scientific collection.

What you actually see

• The Wood's cycad - a species extinct in the wild, every plant a male clone of one stem.
• The 1849 foundation - Africa's oldest botanical garden on its original site.
• The orchid house - a substantial collection under glass.
• The free entry - a working city park as well as a scientific garden.

When to go

All year - subtropical, so something is always flowering. Two hours.

Honest expectations

It is in a city and feels like it - traffic noise, urban surroundings. The Wood's cycad is a single unremarkable-looking plant unless you know the story. Durban summers are hot and very humid. Take normal city precautions with belongings.

Nearby

Durban's beachfront and the Berea are close; the Moses Mabhida stadium is north.