The Christchurch Botanic Gardens, located in the central city

Christchurch Central City

Christchurch Central City is the geographical centre and the heart of Christchurch, New Zealand. It is defined as the area within the four avenues and thus includes the densely built up central city, some less dense surrounding areas of residential, educational and industrial usage, and green...

 of Christchurch

Christchurch

Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...

, New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

 are botanical gardens founded in 1863, when an English oak was planted on 9 July 1863 to commemorate the solemnisation of marriage between Prince Albert

Edward VII of the United Kingdom

Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...

 and Princess Alexandra

Alexandra of Denmark

Alexandra of Denmark was the wife of Edward VII of the United Kingdom...

 of Denmark

Denmark

Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...

.

The Gardens sprawl over an area of 21 hectares and lie adjacent to the loop of the Avon River

Avon River, Canterbury

The Avon River flows through the centre of the city of Christchurch, New Zealand, and out to an estuary, which it shares with the Heathcote River, the Avon Heathcote Estuary.- Geology :...

 next to Hagley Park

Hagley Park

Hagley Park is the largest urban open space in Christchurch, New Zealand, and was created in 1855 by the Provincial Government. According to the government's decree at that time, Hagley Park is "reserved forever as a public park, and shall be open for the recreation and enjoyment of the public."...

. The Christchurch Botanic Gardens have a variety of collection of exotic and local plant

Plant

Plants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...

s of New Zealand. Some of the attractions of the Gardens include:

• The Herb Garden (started in 1986) has several plants of culinary and medicinal value (see Herbalism
  Herbalism
  Herbalism is a traditional medicinal or folk medicine practice based on the use of plants and plant extracts. Herbalism is also known as botanical medicine, medical herbalism, herbal medicine, herbology, herblore, and phytotherapy...
  
  ).
• The Rose Garden has more than 250 varieties of rose
  Rose
  A rose is a woody perennial of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae. There are over 100 species. They form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles. Flowers are large and showy, in colours ranging from white through yellows...
  
  s.
• Collections of plants from all around the world including Asia, North America, Europe, South America and South Africa.
• Cunningham house- a large Victorian glass house containing an impressive tropical collection with an orchid/carnivorous plant collection and a cactus house attached.
• Fern house
• A variety of bird watching opportunities, with many woodpigeons being present and a cormorant colony in action during the spring
• The Rock Garden contains some plants that remain in flower throughout the year.
• The Heather Garden has several Ericas and Callunas, providing flower
  Flower
  A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
  
  s and foliage year round.
• A portion of the Gardens has several species of Rhododendron
  Rhododendron
  Rhododendron is a genus of over 1 000 species of woody plants in the heath family, most with showy flowers...
  
  and hybrids with several associated plants of Hostas, Helleborus and Liliums.
• The Water Garden has lillies and irises and has many mature trees and shrubs surrounding it.
• A mature Native plant section with a wide range of New Zealand plants