Cactus and Succulent Garden at the Botanic Gardens

The Cactus and Succulent Garden  of the Adelaide Botanic Gardens are located on the grounds of Palm House. 

The Palm House is an exquisite, painstakingly restored Victorian glasshouse imported from Bremen, Germany in 1875. It is thought to be the only one of its kind still in existence – must-see at Adelaide Botanic Garden.

The Palm House was designed by German architect Gustav Runge and the sophisticated engineering techniques used in its construction make it a benchmark in glasshouse design. The hanging glass walls are similar to those used in today's city buildings and were very advanced for the time. This sophistication, and Adelaide's dry climate, probably account for the building's survival.

In 1986 corrosion of iron glazing bars made the Palm House unsafe for public use and it was closed. A conservation study carried out in early 1991 recommended full restoration and after a successful public appeal, and a donation from the federal government, this was carried out.

Roll on another 27 years to 2018, and further works were required to treat salt damp and corrosion, and to prune plants to allow light to reach smaller plants. After an eight month closure, the heritage-listed building is open again for all to enjoy.

The Palm House now features a wonderful collection of plants from the island of Madagascar. The plants require warm and dry growing conditions, which also aids in the conservation of the building.

The new Cactus and Succulent Garden at the Botanic Gardens of Adelaide provides lots of ideas for water wise gardening.

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The ongoing drought and tough water restrictions have brought about a culture change among gardeners, now more keen than ever to embrace the concept of water wise gardening.

Plants that are able to survive desert air temperatures of up to 49 degrees Celsius and soil temperatures of 65 degrees Celsius will surely make it through even the toughest of Australian summers.

Cacti and succulents, the desert plants of Africa and the Americas, have evolved similar features to survive in places with too much sun and too little water.

Plants from both continents feature in the Cactus and Succulent Garden at the Botanic Gardens of Adelaide.

Originally planted in 1922, the garden was temporarily relocated in 1993 to allow for the restoration of the Palm House.

The garden has now been moved back and has been officially launched as part of the Botanic Gardens 150th celebrations.

Eventually we make our way toward the North Terrace Entrance to the Botanic Gardens.