Madeira Botanical Garden

Madeira Botanical Garden exists since the sixteenth century. Initially, these pioneer gardens cultivated medicinal and aromatic plants for study.

Madeira Botanical Garden exists since the sixteenth century. Initially, these pioneer gardens cultivated medicinal and aromatic plants for study. With the discovery age and the finding of new lands, new plant resources and cultures associated were accessed and the botanical gardens began to maintain collections of exotic plants, becoming centers of release, acclimation, exposure and distribution of exotic plants. More recently, these institutions have direct responsibility in the preservation of indigenous species as well as in the environmental education of the general population for disclosure and protection of biological diversity.

Despite the playful and pleasurable component generally associated with the beauty of the gardens of botanical gardens, these collections of living plants, especially rare species, threatened and special interest of conservation, germplasm banks are important and represent an important step conservation of plant genetic resources in a given region. Currently there are over 1700 botanic gardens around the world, hosting over 100 000 species considered endangered in their natural habitats.