Ukraine

Syrets Arboretum of national importance is located in the northwestern part of Kyiv
and covers an area of 7.5 hectares. The Arboretum is a scientific-research nature
protection, cultural and educational institution of national significance and is part of the
Nature Reserve Fund of Ukraine. Among the plantings of the Syrets Arboretum there
are such exotics as: Taxus cuspidata, planted in 1875, Thuja occidentalis, planted in
1895, and groups of plants planted in 1900: Picea pungens ‘Argentea’, Chamaecyparis
pisifera ‘Filifera’, Picea abies, Acer platanoides ‘Schwedleri’, Tilia euchlora,
Liriodendron tulipifera.
Currently, more than 900 taxons of plants grow in the arboretum, most of which are
introduced from North America, China, Japan, and the Far East.

We invite you to walk along the paths of one of the pearls of Ukraine’s nature reserve – the Vorzel Reserve. This place is unique not only for its clean air and plant communities but also for its history. It has been a place where lived and worked famous patrons, figures of Ukrainian culture and science, and despite a month of occupation by Russian forces in 2022, active cultural life continues to thrive here to this day. Visitors will witness the beauty of the indigenous flora of Ukrainian Polissia and the Forest-Steppe, and will also have the opportunity to taste tea made from medicinal herbs collected within the reserve.

The «Оlexandria» State Dendrological Park of the National Academy of Science of Ukraine is one of the oldest parks in Ukraine, which was established in 1788. The current area of the park is 400.67 hectares. Conifers were introduced into park landscapes from the beginning of the park foundation, and today we admire beautiful, century-old trees – “Family Tree of Counts Branicki” (4-trunk common pine), Weymouth and black pines (“Three Graces”). Common and Canadian spruces, Siberian, European and Japanese larches. Conifers are an ornament of any landscape. Modern collection of conifers of the dendropark “Alexandria” is one of the leading in Ukraine. In 2003, we in the Dendrological Park “Оlexandria” NAS of Ukraine was laid scientific-exposition site “Coniferetum”, where today grow more than 270 taxons of conifers.

Together with an experienced scientist-guide you will plunge into the mysterious world of evergreen plants.

17-18 May 2024 – The “Оlexandria” State Dendrological Park of the National Academy of Science of Ukraine invites you to the cycle of excursions “The World of Plants”. Conifers are the value and decoration of any park or garden. The overwhelming majority of conifers are evergreen plants and due to this fact a park or even a small garden is attractive throughout the year.

Excursions have the purpose to acquaint all interested with the open scientific exposition of the The Dendrological Park “Оlexandria” NAS of Ukraine – “Coniferetum” (area 0,44 ha), where more than 270 taxons of coniferous plants are collected.

During the excursion you will get acquainted with the history of introduction of coniferous plants to the “Оlexandria” dendropark, their shape and colour diversity, learn about the peculiarities of growing conifers in our climate and much more.

During the excursion there will be an opportunity to make a good photo session and take part in the quiz “What do you know about conifers?”.

An exciting journey through the greenhouses of the Botanical Garden, where cacti and other succulents grow. Visitors will learn about succulents and their adaptive properties, interesting facts related to the discovery of these plants in nature, and their significance for people in the past and present. The collection of cacti and other succulent plants at the Botanical Garden is leading in Ukraine and comprises over 2500 species.

An interesting and informative tour along the scientific section of the Botanical Garden. You will have the opportunity to get acquainted with the collection of woody and herbaceous plants and visit the ornamental fruit garden, where forgotten old varieties of Ukrainian-bred apple trees grow.

The participants, under the guidance of Andrii Churilov, Associate Professor of the
Department of Botany, Dendrology and Forest Breeding at the National University of Life and
Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, will study the specificity of the forest ecosystem of the
Dzvinkivsky Forest Reserve, a nationally important forest reserve in Ukraine. The research will be
aimed at studying the diversity of flora, their structure and physiology in their natural environment. A
herbarium of indicator plants will also be created to help determine the characteristics and condition of
the ecosystem.

The first area encountered by visitors at the entrance to the Botanical Garden was designed as an exposition of woody plants, with a parterre flowerbed in the center. Over the decade of its existence, the plants in the area have changed in size, with some proving to be less resistant than others. The main goal of caring for the area is to preserve the ideas laid out during its design, create resilient plant groups, and maintain and replenish the collection of plants.

Gymnosperms do not form a specialized organ called a “flower”; their naked seeds lie openly on the seed scale. Therefore, it is terminologically incorrect to consider the time of pollination and fertilization of plants in this group as “flowering.” We will see the prototypes of flowers and fruits in various groups of gymnosperms where their diversity is greatest, in the collection of Rubtsov’s Dendrarium.

The lilac collection of the botanical garden is one of the largest in the world and the most famous collection of living plants in Ukraine. According to the Latin name of the genus Syringa, the place where this collection is located is called the Syringarium. Here you can see almost all described species of lilacs in the world flora and more than 150 varieties of common lilac. The location of the Lilac Garden on terraces descending to the Dnipro River with a view of the domes of the Vydubychi Monastery has created an image that has become a hallmark of Kyiv.

The fascinating journey into the world of tropical and subtropical plants originating from various continents will take place. Unforgettable impressions await you after being acquainted with a 200-year-old Livistona palm, elephant palm, and giant date palms. During the tour, you’ll have the opportunity to see beneficial plants such as noble laurel, European olive, carob tree, feijoa, and many others.

Introduction to the Magnolia Garden of the M.M. Gryshko National Botanical Garden. The Magnolia Garden was created according to the project of Leonid Rubtsov; it is one of the monospecific gardens of Rubtsov’s Dendrarium, located in a historical area and harmoniously integrated into the relief of the high right bank of the Dnipro River. Magnolias are an ancient group of angiosperms; their flower structure and pollination method are primitive compared to other plant groups.

The oak tree grows in Boyarka forestry and is actually one of the oldest trees on the territory of
the Boyarka Forest Research Station forest fund. Its grandeur is impressive, as its girth at breast height
reaches 4.87 meters. Scientists estimate the age of this natural phenomenon at over 450 years. The area
where this majestic tree grows is also unique. It is a part of the Khodosiv archaeological complex
“Round settlement” – one of the historical and cultural sites on the territory of the forest fund of the
Boyarka Forest Research Station.

The vegetation period is the best time to perform monitoring of the Ukrainian flora.
Today we will tell you about a rare species listed in the Red Data Book of Ukraine, Jovibarba globifera
(L.) J. Parn. The population of Jovibarba globifera (L.) J. Parn. is a type of small populations that often
consist of often consist of several loci. Its area in the forest fund of Boyarka Forest Research Station is
about 2.0 hectares, which, next to the with the population in Desniansko-Starogutskyi NNP, is one of
the largest known in Ukraine.