University of Latvia Botanical Garden

Riga, Latvia, Latvia

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The University of Latvia Botanical Garden (Latvian: Latvijas Universitātes Botāniskais dārzs) is the oldest botanical garden in Latvia, founded in spring 1922 by the University of Latvia on one hectare of land in Dreiliņmuiža allocated by Riga City Council.

Located at Kandavas iela 2 in the Pārdaugava (Pardaugava) area of Riga, about a 10-minute drive from the city center on the former Wolfschmidt estate, the garden now spans over 15 hectares and is open to visitors year-round. The garden houses approximately 5,400 to 6,000 different plant taxa in its greenhouses and outdoor collections, including plants from diverse regions around the world ranging from the Baltic Sea dunes to Australian forests, the Amazon jungle to the Caucasus Mountains, and Mexican deserts to the Far East.

Notable collections include nearly 300 types of dahlias, 120 types of azaleas, 100 types of outdoor rhododendrons, the largest collection of palm trees in Latvia, a broad cactus collection, and exotic tropical plants such as lemon, banana, pineapple, fig, olive, avocado, and coffee bean plants.