Katse Botanical Gardens, Alpine botanical garden in Katse village, Lesotho

Katse Botanical Gardens is a centre for alpine flora in Katse village, Lesotho, at an altitude of 2229 metres. It was created through plant rescue missions carried out to limit the impact of the Katse Dam, with spiral aloes among the plants saved. The collection focuses on traditional Sotho medicinal plants and holds a large seed bank.

The gardens were created through plant rescue missions carried out to offset the impact of the Katse Dam, with spiral aloes among the species saved. They are twinned with Treborth Botanic Gardens, a member of Botanic Gardens Conservation International, and linked to the UNEP Dams and Development project.

The gardens hold a collection of traditional Sotho medicinal plants, gathered to keep that knowledge available after the dam flooded the valley. A large seed bank stores this material, and the gardens are twinned with Treborth Botanic Gardens in Wales.

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.