Botanical Garden of the University of Porto

With an area of about 4 hectares, the Botanical Garden of the University of Porto is an eclectic space, ordered and designed with high ecological, aesthetic and referential interest. It is a place rich in plants, tales, and memories, where the interventions from the end of the 19^th century and the second half of the 20^th century stand out.  

 It is organized in three levels with distinct characteristics. 

This first level also encompasses the Hall of Biodiversity – Ciência Viva Center, surrounded by a mixed border of mainly native trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants, and the formal gardens: the Fish Garden, the Rose Garden, and the J’s Garden, all compartmentalized by high edges of centenarian camellias (Camellia japonica).

On the second level there is the Cactus and Succulents Garden and the greenhouses.     

The third level, the lowest, hosts the Arboretum, the small water reservoir, the large pond, and big tree collections, with shadows that move swiftly around us, creating different movements and sensations as we walk through it.

The Bosquets are small, ordered woods that surround the Hall of Biodiversity at north, east and west. They display a pseudo-naturalistic composition, casting an ambiance of shade and faint light.

With an unusual assemblage of exotic species mainly represented by cedar (Cedrus spp.), araucaria (Araucaria spp.), sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), lime (Tilia spp.), tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera), camellia (Camellia spp.), rhododendron (Rhododendron spp.), and redwood (Sequoia sempervirens).

Walking in the dappled shade and looking up through the fine lace of branches to the sky above offers a feeling of peace and calm to anyone who ventures in.

The three formal gardens are surrounded by century-old Camellia japonica hedges - J's Garden, the Rose Garden and the Fish Garden. The first two were designed and idealized by Joana Andresen, the former owner of this property.

The J’s Garden is a formal space designed by low boxwood hedges, encircled by historic camellia hedges. It maintains the symmetrical tracing of the late 19^th century, with J-shaped beds — the initials of João and Joana Andresen, former owners of this property. It is a habitat of shrubs and herbaceous plants (bulbs and annuals), where the wavy flowerbeds invite children to wander and play, exploring the labyrinth.

The Rose Garden develops like a huge carpet, facing the south of the house, with a geometric pattern layout typical of the late 19^th century. It is a simplified habitat, dominated by shrubs and sub-shrubs, displaying a floristic composition with a significant chromatic, textural and olfactory contrast.

The Fish Garden is a space made up of grass beds bordered by Mediterranean shrubs and enclosed by tall hedges of camellias. Created in the 1950s on the farm's former asparagus field, its current name comes from the shape of the central bed. It is a habitat of herbaceous and shrubby coverings, punctuated by citrus trees and cypresses, with a small collection of old roses at the top, which marks the arrival of spring.     

The Shale Garden, which was once the Andresen family's tennis Court, was redesigned by landscape architect Franz Koepp, in the 1950s when the Botanical Garden was set up on this property, designed to house collections of aquatic plants.

The Dwarves' Garden is a fantastic place, under transformation, which seeks to evoke Sophia's tale, The Forest. It is lined with curving paths, flanked by a mosaic of small mown meadows and massive shrubs, topped by trunks that age therein, recycling the fertility of life.

The Cactus and Succulents Garden is a xerophytic garden, created in the late 1950s, which houses an interesting collection of cacti and succulents. It is complemented to the south by the Desert and Tropical greenhouses.

The Arboretum, located to the south, at lower levels and occupying about half of the Garden, is the area where woody plants from the most diverse bioclimatic regions of the world live. Along its curving paths, visitors can experience the informality of the space, with various forest habitats where many trees and shrubs grow freely. Herein, the Temperate woodland, the Coniferous woodland and the Palm Tree Site stand out.

Come and visit the Botanical Garden of the University of Porto, open every day and with free entrance, and discover its history, explore its beautiful spaces and get to know the botanical collection.