The Wellington Botanic Garden has an entrance on top of a hill that is reached via the Cable Car. This entrance provides a splendid view of the city of Wellington.
The garden spreads on sloping terrain and it’s possible to cover most of it starting at the top, and walking down to the exit on Glenmore Street.
The Wellington Botanic Garden was started in 1868 and covers about 66 acres. It now includes several collections including succulents, roses (about 3,000), native forest plants, Maori flax, rhododendrons. One can also find an exotic forest and a begonia house.
Below are photos taken in February 2013, so whatever plants were blooming at that time of the year (summer in New Zealand) were at their best.
Please click on the photos below to enlarge them and read their captions at the bottom. You can also enlarge the photos even more by clicking on the enlargement button at the top of the already enlarged photos.
This topiary tree is at the Cable Car entrance. The signage gives an idea of its height.
View of the city of Wellington from the Cable Car entrance
THE ROSES
Partial view of the rose garden with the climbing rose structures in the background.
Another side of the Rose garden with the Begonia House and the Cafe in the background
The climbing rose supports were arranged in a circle around the rose garden.
The climbing rose supports were arranged in a circle around the rose garden.
The Burgundy Iceberg variety, a rarer color in the world of roses.
Mary’s Love rose
This variety had no label.
Amber Flush hybrid tea rose
City of Auckland rose
Romeo rose with feathery companion.
Malaga climbing rose
Tropical Delight is a popular rose.
THE TREES
Casophora
A blooming tree
Blooming tree close up
Holly
Japanese cedar
This tree has striking dark fruits
The Monterey pine, a native of California, is the most widely planted pine in the world.
Many of its cones are distributed close to the upper trunk and branches.
One of the rarest plants in the world, Pennantia Baylisiana is native to New Zealand.
Totara podocarp, endemic to New Zealand – prized by the Maori for carvings.
The New Zealand Christmas tree (Metrosideros excelsa) (pohutukawa in maori) produces bright red flowers, hence the name. Note the strange effect of sunlight in this photo.
Sitka Spruce, one of the ‘superlative’ trees (up to 300 feet), native to Western North America
Camphor trees are native to China and Japan
THE FLOWERS
Saw banksia – banksias are popular ornamentals due to their flower spikes and fruiting cones.
Banksia Lemon Delicious – Banksias are native to Australia
Rooikanol or bloodroot, native to South Africa
Chamomile
Colchicum
Delicate red flowers
Lilac-colored flowers
Orange-colored flowers
Very interestingly shaped red flowers
Flowering tobacco (nicotiana sylvestris) is unsuitable for smoking. It is fragrant at night only – self-seeds easily
Large geranium bed
Purple flower spikes
Pink lily
Harlequin glorybower is native to China, Japan, and India.
Kangaroo paw is endemic to Western Australia.
Vunga is native to the South Pacific Islands.
These light blue flowers are attractive for pollinators.
White pompons
Princess flower plant, a native to Mexico and South America
Wild teasel
Woolly grevillea is native to Australia
Wolly grevillea close up.
THE SUCCULENTS
Several attractive succulents were growing in a section devoted to them.
Airplane plant, native to South Africa
Fan aloe is endemic to South Arica.
The showy Black Rose Tree is native to the Canary Islands.
Blue Rose Echeveria, a native to Mexico
This succulent has tiny pink flowers.
Although the photo doesn’t show it, the label says this is a spiral aloe.
OTHER
The songs of cicadas were filling the air in some areas of the garden.
One of the some 200 species of ferns in New Zealand
Many public gardens in New Zealand have sections for flax varieties.
