Batumi Botanical Garden

The Batumi Botanical Garden of the Georgian Academy of Sciences (Georgian ბათუმის ბოტანიკური ბაღი, საქართველოს მეცნიერებათა აკადემიისა ) is the second largest with 114 acres in Georgia. It was founded on November 3, 1912, and was appointed in 1950 to the Academy. Since 2006 he is an autonomous body.

The garden is located nine kilometers north of Batumi on the Green Cape, close to the Black Sea. It extends from sea level to more than 100 meters along a steep ridge. Pathways and terraces offer spectacular views over the bay of Batumi. The subtropical climate of the region is particularly conducive to the plants.

The garden was established in the 1880s by the Russian botanist Andrei Krasnov ( 1862-1914 ). He was assisted by the Georgian gardener Iason Gordesiani and his French counterpart D' Alphonse. As Krasnow died in 1914, he was buried in the garden and erected a statue in his honor.

During the Soviet time the garden was further enlarged and developed. Since 1925 he is a main institution for the study of Caucasian maritime subtropical crops.

The garden is home to over 5,000 species in nine departments. The Arboretum is one of 3,270 species of trees. It is divided into eight different areas: Transcaucasia, Mediterranean, East Asia, the Himalayas, North America, Mexico, South America and Australia. Especially great is the eucalyptus collection. The garden has 60 different species of Myrtaceae, many of them grown very old and tall. Widespread in Georgia palm tree is represented by 17 species. Bamboo is planted in dense groves. The bamboo Phyllostachys pubescens, which usually grows only about seven meters high in Central Europe, there reaches up to 20 meters.

In winter bloom in subtropical plant species whose flowering time is usually in the spring or summer. These include the Voronov Snowdrop (Galanthus woronowii ), the Rizasee Snowdrop (Galanthus rizehensis ), the Broad-leaved snowdrops (Galanthus platyphyllus ) and after the first director of the botanical garden, a professor Krasnov, named Krasnov Snowdrop (Galanthus krasnovii ).

The Batumi Botanical Garden has a research institute with three departments that take care of natural and plant protection, Flore diversity and selection. The research results will be published in the Bulletin of Batumi Botanical Gardens in the Georgian language. Director of the botanical garden is Vano Papunidse.

The botanical garden has about 100 employees. In order to secure the livelihood of employees in difficult economic times, tea, orange orchards and vegetable gardens were planted in the garden. In addition, there cows, pigs and chickens are kept. For the public soccer fields and picnic areas are available in the garden.