Katse Botanical Gardens, Alpine botanical garden in Katse village, Lesotho
The Katse Botanical Gardens is a 17-hectare garden in a village at 2229 meters elevation, where alpine plant species from Lesotho's highlands are cultivated. The collection features native mountain plants and various aloe species that thrive at this altitude.
The gardens were established in 1996 when many plant species faced extinction during the construction of the Katse Dam. Rescue missions helped preserve local species that were endangered by the building project.
The gardens maintain a collection of traditional Sotho medicinal plants, supporting the transmission of local healing knowledge through its extensive seed bank.
The site is accessible to visitors who can book guided tours to learn more about the high-altitude plants. Visitors can also purchase native plant seedlings from the nursery to take home.
The location sits at one of the highest elevations in the southern hemisphere and shows how plants survive in extreme altitude conditions. The collection demonstrates adaptation strategies of species that cope with thin air and intense sunlight.
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