园区概况
上海植物园位于上海市徐汇区龙吴路1111号，前身是1953年建成的龙华苗圃，1974年开始筹建植物园，1978年4月正式对外开放，2022年1月1日起免费向公众开放。园区占地面积81.86公顷，是上海最大的市级植物园，也是一座以植物引种驯化、科学研究、园艺展示及科普教育为主的综合性城市植物园，现为国家AAAA级旅游景区、全国科普教育基地、上海市五星级公园。
历史沿革
1952年11月，龙华苗圃从上中乡、港口乡征地建立。1972年，上海市园林管理处着手研究将龙华苗圃改建为植物园。1974年3月5日获批，改造施工随即开始。1980年元旦正式定名为”上海植物园”。经过近半个世纪的建设，园区已成为一座真正的”植物博物馆”，每年吸引百万游客感受四季更迭之美。
十五大专类园
园区设有植物进化区（包括松柏园、蕨类园、木兰园、牡丹园、杜鹃园、蔷薇园、槭树园、桂花园和竹园等）、盆景园、草药园、展览温室、兰室、环保植物区和绿化示范区等15个专类园。目前共收集活植物3500余种、6000多个品种，以长江中下游野生植物为主，宿根植物、花灌木、凤梨科植物和仙人掌多肉类植物尤为特色。
盆景园与展览温室
盆景园占地4公顷，是世界上最大盆景园之一，也是海派盆景的发源地。1978年正式对外开放，早在1954年龙华苗圃创立之初就已大量收集制作盆景。园内汇集了以海派盆景为代表的精品数千盆，1996年建成我国首家以”盆景”为主题的专题博物馆——《盆景博物馆》。海派盆景以”师法自然，苍古如画”为艺术特色，园内《松鹤延年》《百步云梯》《苍松迎客》等盆景为中国盆景艺术瑰宝。
展览温室高达32米，占地面积5000平方米，外形似宝塔，采用铝镁钛合金轻质材料，是国内选用新材料自主设计施工的首例建筑。温室内展示热带雨林和室内花园两大主题，热带雨林展区融合绞杀现象、大板根、老茎生花等特征，展出菩提树、望天树、四数木等神奇植物；室内花园区展示棕榈科和热带果树40余种。
Overview
Shanghai Botanical Garden is located at 1111 Longwu Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai. Originally established as Longhua Nursery in 1953, the garden began planning for conversion in 1974 and officially opened on April 1, 1978. Since January 1, 2022, it has been open to the public free of charge. Covering an area of 81.86 hectares, it is Shanghai’s largest municipal botanical garden—a comprehensive urban botanical garden focusing on plant introduction, scientific research, horticultural display, and science education. It is now rated as a national AAAA-level tourist scenic spot, a national science education base, and a five-star park in Shanghai.
Historical Development
In November 1952, Longhua Nursery was established through land acquisition. In 1972, the Shanghai Municipal Garden Management Office began research on converting Longhua Nursery into a botanical garden. Approval was granted on March 5, 1974, and construction began immediately. The garden was officially named “Shanghai Botanical Garden” on New Year’s Day in 1980. After nearly half a century of development, it has become a true “museum of plants,” attracting millions of visitors annually to experience the changing seasons.
Fifteen Specialized Gardens
The garden features 15 specialized areas including the Plant Evolution Zone (containing Conifer Garden, Fern Garden, Magnolia Garden, Tree Peony Garden, Rhododendron Garden, Rose Garden, Maple Garden, Osmanthus Garden, and Bamboo Garden), Bonsai Garden, Medicinal Herb Garden, Exhibition Greenhouse, Orchid House, Environmental Protection Plant Area, and Green Demonstration Area. Currently, it houses more than 3,500 living plant species and over 6,000 varieties, primarily wild plants from the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, with particular strength in perennial plants, flowering shrubs, bromeliads, and cacti/succulents.
Bonsai Garden and Exhibition Greenhouse
Covering 4 hectares, the Bonsai Garden is one of the largest bonsai gardens in the world and the birthplace of the Shanghai-style bonsai. Officially opened in 1978, it had already begun collecting and creating bonsai in large quantities when Longhua Nursery was founded in 1954. The garden houses thousands of fine pieces centered on Shanghai-style bonsai, and in 1996, China’s first museum themed around “Bonsai” — the “Bonsai Museum” — was established. Shanghai-style bonsai is characterized by its artistic approach of “learning from nature with ancient, picturesque charm.” Masterpieces such as “Pine and Crane for Longevity,” “Hundred Steps Cloud Ladder,” and “Ancient Pine Welcoming Guests” are treasured works of Chinese bonsai art.
The Exhibition Greenhouse stands 32 meters tall with a footprint of 5,000 square meters. Its pagoda-like design uses lightweight aluminum-magnesium-titanium alloy materials, representing China’s first self-designed and self-constructed building using new materials. The greenhouse displays two main themes: tropical rainforest and indoor garden. The tropical rainforest area features characteristics such as strangler figs, large buttress roots, and cauliflory, displaying magical plants such as Bodhi trees, Shorea trees, and tetrameles. The indoor garden area showcases more than 40 species of palms and tropical fruit trees.
