Jardín Botánico de Bogotá

What Jardín Botánico de Bogotá does

Jardín Botánico de Bogotá José Celestino Mutis is a district-level autonomous public research institute (Instituto de Investigación) operating under the Alcaldía Mayor de Bogotá D.C. since its founding in 1955. The institution's mandate spans plant conservation, botanical research, urban forestry management, urban agriculture, and environmental education for the capital city of Colombia, with operational presence across all 20 of Bogotá's localities.

The organization's core operations combine physical visitor infrastructure with a digital technology stack. The Tropicario greenhouse circuit, guided tours, and annual exhibitions (orchids, cacti and succulents, bromeliads, carnivorous plants, the Polinizando light festival) serve general public and tourist audiences, while the 'Bogotá es mi Huerta' urban agriculture program, seed banks, and farmer networks anchor community engagement. Underlying these programs is a proprietary digital platform comprising the SIGAU urban tree management information system, the Arborímetro real-time tree planting tracker, the Geo Portal de Bosques Urbanos with 3D viewer, the digital Herbario JBB, Nombres Comunes, Conexión Bio, the Red de Interacciones Bióticas, and the recently renewed ArbolApp Bogotá mobile application. These systems collectively manage Bogotá's urban forest inventory and the institution's botanical specimen collections.

Revenue is generated through a hybrid model dominated by annual public budget allocations from the Bogotá district government, supplemented by ticket sales (COP $6,600 nationals / COP $8,800 foreigners for general garden; COP $12,200-$30,000 for Tropicario combinations), educational programs and guided tours for schools and institutions, event venue rentals, and event-driven cultural programming. The institution holds international accreditations from BGCI and Tree Cities of the World (FAO), and operates strategic partnerships with Smithsonian Institution, Naturalis Biodiversity Center, ETH Zurich, Conservation International, Fondo Acción, and other botanical gardens including Shenzhen and Madrid. Leadership transitioned in 2025 with Germán Darío Alvarez assuming the role of acting director following the departure of Martha Liliana Perdomo Ramírez.

Name

Jardín Botánico de Bogotá

Legal name

Jardín Botánico de Bogotá José Celestino Mutis

Website

https://jbb.gov.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

1955

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Jardín Botánico de Bogotá is a district-level government research institute, founded in 1955, that conserves Andean and tropical biodiversity, manages Bogotá's urban forest, and delivers botanical research, environmental education, and community urban agriculture programs serving the city's residents, schools, researchers, and visitors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Botanical Garden & Conservation Services

NAICS

Zoos and Botanical Gardens (71213), Greenhouse, Nursery, and Floriculture Production (1114), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190), Forest Nurseries and Gathering of Forest Products (113210)

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Tree Care & Arborist Services (BPABADAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Forestry & Public Lands Administration (State/National Forests) (BPAIAMAF), Forest Health Management (Pest, Disease & Invasive Species Control) (AFAMAAAE)

Keywords

• Botanical garden services
• Urban forestry management
• Biodiversity conservation
• Environmental education programs
• Urban agriculture programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Bogotá

HQ country

Colombia

HQ region

Latin America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Entrance Fees and Admission: Revenue from paid admissions to the botanical garden and Tropicario greenhouse circuit for general public visitors and tourists
2. Government Budget Allocation: District-level government entity receiving annual public budget allocation for operational expenses, conservation activities, and community programs
3. Educational Programs and Services: Revenue from guided tours, educational workshops, scientific programs, and academic services for schools and institutions
4. Event Venue Rental: Revenue from renting spaces for events, exhibitions, cultural activities, and corporate functions within the botanical garden facilities

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The Jardín Botánico de Bogotá operates a public botanical garden and research institute that conserves Andean and tropical plant biodiversity, manages Bogotá's urban forest, and delivers environmental education and urban agriculture programs. It generates revenue primarily through paid visitor admissions to its Tropicario greenhouse circuit and gardens, educational programs for schools, cultural events, and venue rentals, supplemented by district-level government budget allocations.

Product overview

The Jardín Botánico de Bogotá (José Celestino Mutis) operates as a public botanical garden and environmental institution offering a unified portfolio of visitor services and digital tools. The core visitor experience includes the Tropicario (greenhouse circuit), guided tours with audio guides, and seasonal exhibitions (orchids, cacti, bromeliads, carnivorous plants). The institution runs urban greening programs including 'Bogotá es mi Huerta' (urban agriculture with markets and seed banks) and urban tree management. Digital offerings include web tools for species information (Herbario, Nombres Comunes, Conexión Bio, Red de Interacciones Bióticas), an urban tree management system (SIGAU), real-time tree planting tracker (Arborímetro), and a mobile app (ArbolApp). Cultural programming includes 'Jardín de Noche' evening events and scientific vacation programs for youth.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bogotá es mi Huerta: Urban agriculture program featuring farmers markets and community garden support
• Tropicario
• Jardín de Noche
• SIGAU
• Vacaciones Científicas

Products and services

• Tropicario (Circuito de Invernaderos) Paid visitor experience offering guided and self-guided tours through a greenhouse circuit featuring themed sections such as Bosque Húmedo Tropical (Chocó and Amazon), Bosque Seco Tropical, Superpáramo, Useful Plants, and CEPAC. Targeted at general public visitors, families, and tourists.
• Recorridos Guiados (Guided Tours) Guided tours through the botanical garden, including audio guides for self-guided exploration across themed stops. Available to general visitors and institutional clients including schools and universities.
• Jardín de Noche (Evening Cultural Events) Evening cultural and educational events featuring music, dance, theater, and educational activities held at the botanical garden at night. Targeted at general public and cultural event attendees.
• Vacaciones Científicas (Scientific Vacations) Scientific vacation program for children and youth during school breaks, offering educational activities at the botanical garden. Targeted at families and school groups.
• Bogotá es mi Huerta Urban agriculture program featuring agroecological peasant markets, community seed banks, urban farmer networks across localities, and agroecological routes for community tourism. Targeted at urban farmers, community gardeners, and local residents across all 20 localities of Bogotá.
• Picos y Alas (Bird Observation Program) Bird observation and nature appreciation program held within the botanical garden grounds. Targeted at general public, families, and amateur naturalists.
• SIGAU (Sistema de Información para la Gestión del Arbolado Urbano) Urban tree management information system that monitors and manages Bogotá's urban tree population using geographic and alphanumeric data. Provided to district government entities and the public for transparency.

Quantifiable outcome

• ~300,000 visitors attended the Polinizando light festival
• +3 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Smithsonian InstitutionminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 May 2025International herbarium data partnership contributing to the PteridoPortal database for fern and lycophyte research and biodiversity monitoring.
• Naturalis Biodiversity Center (Netherlands)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 May 2025International botanical research partnership contributing specimen data to the PteridoPortal for global fern and lycophyte conservation.
• ETH ZurichminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 May 2025International academic partnership contributing botanical research data to the PteridoPortal database.
• Tree Cities of the WorldcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025International urban forestry recognition program affiliated with FAO, recognizing Bogotá's urban forest management practices and tree planting initiatives.
• Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024International partnership for botanical garden accreditation and conservation best practices. BGCI provides international recognition and standards for botanical garden operations and biodiversity conservation efforts.
• Fondo AccióncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Memorandum of understanding for biodiversity conservation collaboration in Colombia, supporting environmental projects and conservation initiatives.
• Conservation InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Memorandum for ecosystem protection in Bogotá and the surrounding region, supporting global conservation efforts.
• Shenzhen Botanical Garden (SZBG) & Academia China de CienciascoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Memorandum of understanding reaffirming commitment to conservation collaboration, including scientific research exchange and plant conservation programs.
• UNODC - United Nations Office on Drugs and CrimeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership for training environmental authorities to combat wildlife trafficking, leveraging botanical expertise for law enforcement support.
• Jardín Botánico de MadridminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Scientific and cultural cooperation between botanical gardens in Madrid and Bogotá, supporting exchange of knowledge and conservation best practices.
• Colombian National Army - Brigada 13minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership for frailejón conservation and environmental training for military personnel, supporting biodiversity preservation in strategic regions.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Jardín Botánico de Madrid: Public botanical garden and research center under the Spanish National Research Council, with formal cooperation partnership with JBB for conservation and scientific exchange. Same core offering of urban biodiversity research, herbarium collections, and public education.
• Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro: Latin American public botanical garden with herbarium collections, urban forestry programs, and visitor-facing greenhouse circuits, comparable in mandate and scale. Directly relevant peer for tropical biodiversity research and community conservation programming.
• Shenzhen Botanical Garden: Public botanical garden with active MOU partnership with JBB and the Chinese Academy of Sciences for conservation collaboration. Comparable operating model as a public-sector botanical garden in a major city.
• Brooklyn Botanic Garden: Urban botanical garden focused on plant conservation, community education, and visitor programming in a dense city context. Comparable scale, audience mix, and mix of paid admissions plus educational programming.

Broad incumbents

• Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew: One of the world's leading public botanical gardens and research institutions with global conservation programs, herbarium and seed bank operations, and accreditation work with BGCI. Sets standards that BGCI-accredited peers like JBB align to.
• New York Botanical Garden: Major public botanical garden with research institute, urban forestry programs, large-scale visitor admissions, exhibitions, and education programming. Comparable operating model around diversified earned revenue plus institutional funding.
• Missouri Botanical Garden: Large public botanical garden with international tropical biodiversity research, herbarium collections, and community urban greening programs. Compares on the science + urban conservation + public engagement triad.
• Singapore Botanic Gardens: UNESCO-recognized national botanical garden with visitor programming, tropical ecosystem exhibits, and urban greening mandate. Comparable in tropical collection focus and public-sector operating structure.
• Chicago Botanic Garden: Public garden with research programs, urban forestry leadership, and major exhibition programming. Comparable to JBB on the science, education, and urban conservation pillars.

Others

• BGCI - Botanic Gardens Conservation International: International accreditation body and conservation network for botanical gardens; an ecosystem enabler and standards-setter rather than a direct competitor. JBB holds BGCI accreditation and partners with the organization on conservation work.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/jbotanicobogota
• YouTubeyoutube.com/jardinbotanicodebogota
• Facebookfacebook.com/JardinBotanicoDeBogota
• Instagraminstagram.com/jardinbotanicodebogota
• TikToktiktok.com/@jardinbotanicodebogota
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/jardinbotanicodebogota

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Jardín Botánico de Bogotá