250 Years of the Ajuda Botanical Garden in Lisbon

A Canary Island dragon tree (Dracaena draco) in the Jardim Botânico da Ajuda in Lisbon. Above: the inscription "250 ANOS JARDIM BOTANICO DA AJUDA"; below: the country name "PORTUGAL" and the year "2018".

The Jardim Botânico da Ajuda in Lisbon is regarded as Portugal's oldest botanical garden and one of the most significant garden complexes on the Iberian Peninsula. Laid out from 1768 under King José I on the initiative of the Marquis of Pombal, it originally served the study of plant life from the Portuguese overseas territories - a direct expression of the scientific ambitions of the Pombaline reform era. Its location right next to the Palácio de Ajuda, above the banks of the Tagus, gives the roughly four-hectare grounds a stately character. Structured according to classical geometric principles, the garden today houses more than two thousand plant species, including rare specimens directly connected to Portugal's colonial history in Africa, Brazil and Asia.

One of the best-known landmarks of the Jardim Botânico da Ajuda is an ancient Canary Island dragon tree (Dracaena draco), whose distinctive silhouette has defined the garden for generations. This species, originally native to the Canary Islands and Madeira, was cultivated in botanical collections in the course of 18th-century European natural science and symbolises Portugal's close ties to its Atlantic possessions. The garden has been maintained for several decades by the University of Lisbon and is classified as a national cultural monument. On the 250th anniversary of its founding, Portugal honoured the heritage of this unique site in 2018 with its own commemorative coin.