Bolus Herbarium

The Bolus Herbarium is a botanical research center at the University of Cape Town that holds around 350,000 plant specimens carefully arranged across two levels. Researchers and students use this organized collection as reference material for their botanical work.

The herbarium was founded in 1865 when Harry Bolus donated his private collection and library to the South African College, which later became the University of Cape Town. This gift established the foundation for the research center that operates today.

The library here holds early botanical works from 17th-century travelers who recorded plants across southern Africa, showing how Europeans first documented the region's flora. These books reveal the perspective of explorers encountering unfamiliar plant species.

The herbarium is located on the University of Cape Town campus and welcomes visits with prior arrangement and permission. Getting in touch ahead of time helps ensure access and lets you know what viewing options are available.

When the Table Mountain fire swept through in 2021, the herbarium escaped substantial damage while other university collections were affected. This protection allowed the valuable botanical specimens and historic books to survive the crisis.