Botanical Garden in the northern city - a great and often the only opportunity for its residents enjoy the nature, the life of "foreign" plants, to meet with all their diversity and splendor.

Botanical Garden of St. Petersburg has a history of pharmaceutical gardens / gardens, which were held in Russia in the reign of the first Romanov for the content of the field and state pharmacies. The immediate predecessor - Moscow apothecary garden, which in 1714 was moved to the new capital, and placed on a black (later - Apothecary) island. Originally, the main purpose of his devices was growing medicinal plants. Gradually, the island was formed Aptekarskaya settlement, which settled the Medical Office employees. Began to carry out medical research and training of pharmacists.

During the reign of Emperor Alexander I, the Apothecary Garden, until now staying in a state of neglect due to meager funding was rebuild according to the draft approved by the emperor, the buildings were rebuilt and improved, botanical and medical departments were merged. The garden began to carry the name of the Imperial Botanical Garden. The main purpose of its activities was the scientific activity, but the preservation and continuation of breeding pharmaceutical herbs. Imperial Botanical Garden plants bought fresh and dry, seeds. It was organized by a scientific library, a museum. The garden became a place to serve as a teaching gardening and horticulture, where practical classes students. The entire nineteenth century garden complete his collection of plants brought from all parts of the world Russian travelers and explorers.

Since 1930, he transferred to the garden of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR. After World War II, during which the garden was badly damaged by bombing, it was rebuilt, restored and almost lost collection of plants has been revived and multiplied.

Now the area of ​​the greenhouses of the Botanical Garden is about 1 hectare, the total length of more than a kilometer. The collections of living plants gathered there are more than 7, 5 thousand. Species from all, including the most exotic and remote, over the world. The abundance and diversity of plants is astounding. There is a "hanging gardens" of epiphytes that live high in the branches of tropical trees and next - fancy fern leaves.

Every year you can see the flowering, fruiting and then coffee, cocoa, mango, banana, flacourtia (tropical plum), citrus fruits (tangerine, lemon, orange), figs, Japanese loquat, pomegranate, myrtle and other plants. Here bloom palm, Australian acacia, Callistemon, jasmine fragrance which fills the whole garden. The garden has a magnificent collection of heather in the winter you can see Erika graceful and beautiful azaleas bloom in the spring. The rich and varied palette of colors of the Botanical Garden remains in the memory of visitors.

In the Botanical Garden regularly hosts tours for visitors, and for students - special educational-themed excursions.