The Hortus Botanicus Amsterdam is one of the oldest botanic gardens in the world, and is home to more than 4,000 species of plant. The Hortus was founded in 1638 by the Amsterdam City Council, and was used to train doctors and pharmacists in the preparation of prescriptions. The collection of plants grew quickly throughout the 17th and 18th centuries with the ships of the Dutch East India Company bringing many plants home from their voyages. The Hortus still has many of these plants – including a 300 year old Eastern Cape giant cyad on display.
