Mount Lofty Botanic Garden
LocationSummit Road or Piccadilly Road Phone: (61 8) 8370 8370 History
Less than half an hour from the city centre the Mount Lofty Botanic Garden is on the eastern slopes of the Mount Lofty Ranges. This large hills garden in a spectacular setting overlooking Piccadilly Valley was started in 1952 and first opened to the public in 1977. It features plants from the cool climates of both the northern and southern hemispheres which do not grow well on the hot, dry Adelaide plains. Between 1952 to 1977 Noel Lothian’s vision and efforts resulted in the gradual acquisition by the SA Government of 80 hectares of land on the eastern slopes of the Mount Lofty Ranges for development as a Botanic Garden annexe for temperate plants (cool climate plants). Formerly belonging to the Backhouse Estate, the land consists of seven intersecting valleys in a regeneration Stringy Bark (Eucalyptus obliqua) forest. With an altitude of 600 - 700 ft, it is ideal for the planting of particular groups of plants in each valley and has an annual rainfall of 35 - 40 inches. It also has spectacular views down the Piccadilly Valley. Part of the land had previously been used for market gardening with an aqueduct system still evident in parts of the Garden today. The original Stringy Barks had been felled to feed the ovens of Adelaide bakers or for use by the tanning trade. Several walking trails take visitors up and down the seven valleys each dedicated to a particular plant groups including stunning massed displays of magnolias, rhododendrons, camellias, roses, and peonies, and Fern Gully has the richest collection of ferns in Australia. A fine collection of exotic deciduous trees make a breathtaking display in autumn. A picnic lunch by the lakeside after an invigorating walk is just the thing to make a happy family day. Good walking shoes are recommended. Collections and Displays
A cool temperate hills garden on the eastern slopes of the Mount Lofty Ranges which has acidic soils and high rainfall. These conditions provide an ideal climate for groups of plants that find the Adelaide climate too harsh and dry. Many native and exotic plants from the temperate world are displayed including collections of rhododendrons, magnolias, camellias, viburnums, conifers and ferns. Services and FacilitiesOpening TimesWeekdays 8:30am — 4:00pm. Weekends and public holidays 10:00am — 5:00pm. During daylight savings the Garden will close on weekends at 6:00pm. No admission charge. Car parking available at the upper car park off Mawson Drive, or in the lower car park off Lampert Road. Guided WalksFree 90min guided walks in the Mount Lofty Botanic Garden leave from the lower car park off Lampert Road. 10:30am every Thursday in Spring (September, October and
November) National Species Rose CollectionThis special collection of species roses displays the roses from which all modern roses have been bred. They are displayed in a linear taxonomic arrangement and are located in the northern corner of Mount Lofty Botanic Garden. The species roses are grouped into Sections based on the differences in characteristics of the flowers, foliage, prickles, hips, and chromosome numbers — some of these characteristics are visible, others are not. Each taxonomic group of roses is labelled to provide visitors with information specific to that group, and individual rose species are also labelled. Developed in the late 1980’s the collection continues to expand with the addition of new acquisitions grown by seed from known wild origin. An adjacent display of labelled old-fashioned roses derived from the species and their hybrids (eighteen different groups including Albas, Centifolias, and Rugosas) are also part of this diverse educational resource. The spring flowering, autumn foliage, ripening hips with their differing colours, shapes and sizes make an attractive display and is popular with rose lovers. BankSA Nature Trail
A self guiding walking trail. The BankSA Nature Trail in the Mount Lofty Botanic Garden is a popular self guiding walk which winds through a 7ha area of natural scrub where visitors can discover native plants and animals in a managed but natural setting. The plants and animals on the trail vary with the season making it an interesting place to revisit at different times of the year. The bird life is remarkable. The trail is an official alternative route for the Heysen Trail and is 850 m long and drops about 100 m, very steeply in some places. Good walking shoes are essential and care should be taken at all times, particularly in wet weather. Ten points of interest are marked along the trail by numbered posts and a complementary brochure available at the start will help you find them and explain the ecology of the area. The trail can be started at either end and takes about one hour to walk. The major over storey of the trail is Messmate stringybark (Eucalyptus obliqua), the main tree of the Piccadilly Valley. At the turn of the century the whole valley was clear-felled with the exception of a few individual trees. The timber was harvested for use in the copper mines at Kanmantoo and as firewood in the factories of Adelaide. Since then some parts of the valley have regenerated and, with the exception of competition from weeds and interruption by fire, a second generation forest has grown. As they walk BankSA Nature Trail walkers will discover the secrets of the understorey of this Eucalypt forest. Map
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