The kibbutz was founded in the 1950s. When members moved from the oasis area onto the barren plateau south of Nahal Arugot, they began planting shade trees and greenery almost immediately. They found that En Gedi’s unusual microclimate allows tropical and desert species to coexist in ways rarely seen elsewhere, including baobab trees, ficus, African trees, and Madagascan flora. The baobabs became symbolic of the kibbutz and are among the best-known trees in the garden.

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Over time, Israeli universities and botanical institutions from around the world began sending experimental plants to test whether they could survive at En Gedi. Species came from Madagascar, Africa, Australia, India, the Caribbean, and the Americas. Some species failed, but many adapted extremely well.

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The garden gradually evolved from simple kibbutz landscaping into a scientifically catalogued botanical collection supervised in part by experts from the Botanic Gardens Conservation International and botanists connected to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

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You will notice the large cactarium with around 1,000 cactus and succulent species. The garden also highlights species associated with the Bible and the Dead Sea region, such as myrrh, frankincense, tamarisk, balsam-related plants, and Sodom apple.