National Botanic Garden (Viña del Mar)

The National Botanical Garden in Viña del Mar was founded in 1951 when the El Salitre Park of Pascual Barbissa, created in 1918, was donated to the state. Since 1998, the Botanical Garden has been managed by the Fund for the National Botanic Garden Vigna del Mar.

The total area of ​​the botanical garden is 395 hectares, of which only 32 are available to the general public.

In total, 1,168 plant species are cultivated in the botanical garden, of which 269 are endemic to Chile and many of which are endangered in the wild.

The most interesting collections:

• A collection of cacti native to Chile and Central America , about 680 plants total 90 taxa , including Browningia candelaris , Haageocereus fascicularis and Corryocactus brevistylus .
• Collection of plants of the Juan Fernandez archipelago (about 710 plants 53 endemic taxa).
• A collection of plants of hard-leaved forests of the central zone of Chile (about 143 specimens of 49 taxa).
• Park of exotic plants (2317 exotic plants 285 taxa from Europe and Asia ).
• Collection of medicinal plants.
• Collection of Sophora toromiro , an extinct species from Easter Island , which has been preserved only in botanical gardens and in private collections. 149 plants of this species and three other species from Easter Island grow in the national botanical garden.
• A collection of geophytes (5140 specimens of 59 species of geophyte plants).
• A collection of myrtle from the central and southern parts of Chile, more than 17 taxa (so far closed to the public).
• A collection of plants in southern Chile, also called the Secret Garden (306 specimens of 86 species). It is still closed to the public.
• A collection of 80 plants of Tarasa umbellata , an endemic endangered species.

• Official site of the National Botanic Garden
• BGCI - Jardin Botanico Nacional