Natural environment

The Garden occupies about 1 km long southwestern part of the coastline between the estuary of the river Chakvistskali and Mtsvane Kontskhi (Green Cape), spreading up to 0-220 m above sea level. Previously, this territory was covered by Colchis type of forest which is represented by 3 ha of untouched Preserve territory in the Garden, in the Trascaucasian Humid Subtropics department.

A typical abrasive coast is developed in this section of the coastline with no beach zone along most of its length. Most part of the territory of the Botanical Garden is characterized by the linear and lateral erosion of surface waters. The erosive relief is mainly represented by steep-slope ravines, glens and hillocks with mostly roundish surfaces between them. In the highest part of the Botanical Garden, here and there you can find flat or slightly sloped surfaces of relatively small area.

Unique dendroflora

The micro and mesoforms of the relief within the boundaries of the Botanical Garden and its vicinities had mainly been formed on the crust of laterite (red-soil) exhaustion the development of which had been taking place during a long geological era in the conditions of chemical transformation of volcanogenic and deposit rocks (tufa, tuff sandstones, andesite, etc.) of mid Eocene age. On the laterite exhaustion crust of the sections with such surfaces (like the Ajara foothill zone some 300-400m above sea level) red soil is developed with heavy clay composition, rich in iron and aluminium oxides, having granular structure, the thickness of which reaches 100-150 cm.

Together with other components of the landscape, climatic condition is also of paramount importance for the unique dendroflora. The climate in the Garden is characterized by highly humid and warm subtropical climate. The Large amount of precipitation (2400-2700 mm annually) is mainly preconditioned by the strong condensation caused by the interaction between the damp air flow coming from the Black Sea and the mountainous relief of the coastline. The average air temperature fluctuates between 13,8-14,4°C, the average monthly temperature in January is 4-6°C whereas in august 22-23°C. The absolute maximum temperature reaches 38-40°C while the absolute minimum temperature can fall down to -10°C. The precipitation rarely comes in the form of snowfall and when it does, the thickness never exceeds 10cm. The relative air humidity fluctuates within 70-80%. The average annual speed of the wind is 4,6 m/s while the maximum reaches 39 m/s.