A half-million people visit the National Botanical Garden every year, but this iconic Kyiv park has a lot that often goes undiscovered. Founded in 1935, the park offers visitors much more than most see at first glance.
Mykola Haponenko, deputy director for scientific work at the garden, talked to the Kyiv Post about some of the most striking peculiarities of the park.
Dangerous love
The atmosphere encourages seclusion. There are many places where couples in love can find privacy. However, unexpected danger can lurk from toxic plants. There are plants in the garden that irritate the skin. Every year, several couples suffer from poisonous plants after lovemaking in the garden, even though workers put warning signs on dangerous areas. Fortunately, the toxic plants grow only in the Crimean flora section.
Trees with legends
Close to the section of lilac trees in the park’s eastern part, a 500-year old mulberry tree grows. A legend says that the tree is the mother of all contemporary mulberries that grow in Ukraine and Russia. It is believed that famous poet Taras Shevchenko rested in its shadow several times and even made some sketches of the tree. Another famous tree that grows near the lilacs is a giant old oak.
In 1940s famous Ukrainian opera singer Ivan Kozlovsky used to give free public concerts under the tree. A Wollemi pine in the park’s greenhouse is one of the oldest trees on the planet. The pine is a real rarity – there are only several such trees in the world. This one witnessed Jurassic period.
Research center
The park is not only a place for relaxation and admiration for nature, but it is also a research center. Eight academic departments and two laboratories do the work. A collection of 129 varieties of lilacs has reached far beyond Kyiv and Ukraine. For almost 80 years, botanists have created 325 varieties of sword lilies, 382 of dahlias and 300 of chrysanthemums.
All 500 varieties of peonies in Ukraine were invented here. Local scientists also conduct research on plant acclimatization. Experts observe the development and attributes of nearly 13,000 species on the 130-hectare grounds.
Flora from various climates
A 50-hectare exposition includes flora and landscapes of the Far East, Central Asia, Altai and Western Siberia. Besides former Soviet Union landscapes, visitors can enjoy the flora of all Ukrainian regions. The garden landscapes depict typical views of Ukrainian Carpathian and Crimean mountains, steppe and plains.
Working hours: 8:30 a.m. – 9 p.m. from May to August and 8 a.m. till dusk from September to April. The greenhouse complex is open Wednesday to Friday 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. and on weekends 11 a.m.- 5 p.m.
How to get there: Take bus 62 or trolleybus 14 from metro station Pecherska to the Botanical Garden bus stop.
Tickets are Hr 20, Hr 10 for children. A monthly pass is Hr 200
Feeding squirrels
To the right from the park’s main entrance one can find an area of pine trees full of friendly squirrels. Many visitors bring nuts, squirrels’ favorite treat, when they head for a walk in the Botanical Garden. These cheerful animals are not afraid of people and eat treats from visitors’ hands.
Practical benefits
Visiting a botanical garden can also bring practical benefits. During the harvest season, ecologically cultivated apples, cherry plums, apricots, grapes and actinidia can be purchased near the central entrance cheaply. For those visitors who want to learn how to cultivate plants, the garden offers training in gardening and landscaping. The course’s 20 lessons cost Hr 1,400. The school provides a certificate of completion, which can help the graduate land a job as a gardener or florist.
Kyiv Post staff writer Nataliya Trach can be reached at [email protected]
