Tropical Botanical Garden, Lisbon (Jardim Botânico Tropical)

On history, cultivation, and the long continuity of botanical knowledge

The Tropical Botanical Garden in Lisbon cannot be understood as a purely decorative or recreational space. Its structure, collections, and underlying logic are rooted in a specific historical moment, one in which botanical knowledge was closely tied to empire, agriculture, and the movement of species across territories.

As César Garcia notes, “The Tropical Botanical Garden was originally created as a training ground for technicians who were being prepared to work in the former colonies.” This origin situates the garden within a broader network of colonial botanical institutions, where plants were studied, classified, and cultivated not only for scientific interest but for their economic and agricultural potential.

Portugal, like other European powers, developed botanical gardens as sites of experimentation and transfer. Species moved between continents, adapted to new climates, and were evaluated for their usefulness. In Lisbon, this legacy remains visible in the structure of the garden itself. “This historical purpose shaped its early development, and even today the garden remains rich in a wide variety of fruit tree species, many of which still have great potential for further development.”

The persistence of fruit tree species is not incidental. It reflects a continuity between past systems of knowledge and present-day botanical practice. These collections are not simply ornamental. They carry with them a history of cultivation, adaptation, and use, while also pointing toward future possibilities.

Collections and identity

The identity of the garden is closely tied to what it holds. “The spirit of the garden is very much embodied in its fruit tree species. We hold several varieties, including some that are quite rare.”

Rarity, in this context, is not only a matter of botanical classification. It also reflects the gradual disappearance of certain cultivated varieties, as agricultural systems become more standardised. Botanical gardens such as this one act as repositories, maintaining species that might otherwise be lost.

Alongside these collections, conservation plays an increasingly central role. “Another important component is our collection of species with conservation status, especially cycads, which are a key part of our identity.”

Cycads occupy a particular position within plant history. As one of the oldest groups of seed plants, they represent an evolutionary lineage that predates many modern ecosystems. Today, however, many species are threatened. Their presence within the garden therefore reflects a shift in the role of botanical institutions, from sites of acquisition to sites of preservation.

The work that remains unseen

What defines a botanical garden is not only what is visible to visitors. Much of its essential work takes place out of sight, in spaces that do not present themselves as finished landscapes. “One area that visitors often overlook is the nursery section.”

For those responsible for the garden, this space carries a different significance. “For us, it is one of the most meaningful parts of the garden, as it represents its future.”

The nursery is where continuity is actively produced. “It is where we focus on renewing and propagating the species that sustain the collection.”

This process is fundamental. A botanical collection cannot remain static. Plants age, conditions change, and species require constant attention. Propagation ensures not only survival, but also the possibility of renewal. In this sense, the nursery is not secondary to the garden. It is central to its existence.

Science and institutional continuity

The Tropical Botanical Garden is part of a wider institutional framework, connected to the Universidade de Lisboa and to research structures concerned with ecology, evolution, and environmental change. Its role extends beyond display into scientific activity.

As Garcia states, “Conservation, preservation, and scientific research form the foundation of our daily work.”

This positioning reflects a broader transformation in the role of botanical gardens over the past decades. Increasingly, they function as sites of research, contributing to knowledge on biodiversity, climate adaptation, and plant conservation.

This direction is being further reinforced through current projects. “At the moment, we are preparing the rehabilitation of one of our greenhouses so that it can become a reference research laboratory, strengthening our scientific mission.”

The greenhouse, traditionally associated with cultivation and controlled environments, is here redefined as a research space. This shift signals an integration of scientific inquiry into the physical structure of the garden itself, where living collections and research processes coexist.

Urban presence and public engagement

Despite its scientific and historical depth, the garden remains embedded in the everyday life of the city. Botanical gardens occupy a particular role within urban environments, offering spaces where nature is not abstract, but directly experienced.

“Botanical gardens play a very important role in urban life and in people’s relationship with nature.”

This role becomes visible through use. “This is easy to see in the number of visitors we receive.”

Yet beyond numbers, there is a more sustained form of engagement. “Many hold annual passes, and every day we see people who genuinely contemplate and connect deeply with the garden.”

This suggests a different relationship to space. The garden is not only visited, but returned to. It becomes part of a routine, a place of observation and repetition. In this context, its value lies not only in its collections, but in the time it allows.

A layered landscape

The Tropical Botanical Garden in Lisbon exists within multiple temporalities. Its origins are tied to colonial systems of knowledge and agricultural training. Its present is defined by conservation, research, and maintenance. Its future is being shaped through propagation and scientific development.

These layers do not resolve into a single narrative. Instead, they coexist. The fruit tree collections reflect a history of cultivation and use. The cycads point toward deep evolutionary time and contemporary conservation concerns. The nursery ensures continuity. The greenhouse moves toward research.

What emerges is not a fixed landscape, but an ongoing process. The garden is maintained, renewed, studied, and inhabited. It is both historical and active, shaped as much by past intentions as by present work.

In this sense, the Tropical Botanical Garden is not simply a place to visit. It is a system of knowledge, care, and continuity, one that reflects the changing role of botanical institutions while remaining grounded in its origins.

Interview with César Garcia, Ph.D.
Coordinator, Tropical Botanical Garden (Jardim Botânico Tropical), Lisbon

Text by Matilda Kinberg