Green Odesa: Acacias, the City Garden, Shevchenko Park and the Botanical Garden

Odesa is loved for its sea, architecture and humour, but it is also a very green city. Its streets have been lined with trees since the early 19th century, and in May the scent of white acacia hangs over the centre. Here is where to see Odesa’s gardens and parks.

We deliver flowers in Kyiv too: white roses and flower baskets.

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Green places in Odesa

• White acacia. The black locust tree, which locals call acacia, blooms en masse in May. Its fragrant white clusters have become a symbol of the city and feature in many songs.
• City Garden. One of Odesa’s oldest public gardens, laid out in the early 19th century on Derybasivska Street, with a fountain, sculptures and flower beds right in the centre.
• Shevchenko Park. A large old park on the seafront with avenues, the Alley of Glory and paths down to the beaches.
• Prymorskyi Boulevard. Plane and chestnut trees along the boulevard above the Potemkin Stairs.
• Odesa University Botanical Garden. Collections of trees, roses and glasshouse plants; part of the garden lies by the sea on Frantsuzkyi Boulevard.

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When Odesa looks its best

• May. Acacia, chestnut and lilac are in bloom, with the first roses in the parks.
• June. The season of roses, linden and flower beds around the Opera House.
• September. The sea is still warm and a mild autumn begins in the parks.

The historic centre of Odesa was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2023, and the greenery of its boulevards is an essential part of it.

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We have written about secluded and beautiful places in Ukraine in secluded places in Ukraine, and about romantic Kyiv in romantic places in Kyiv.

FAQ

When does acacia bloom in Odesa?

Usually in the second half of May; the exact timing depends on the spring.

Which is the oldest park in Odesa?

The City Garden in the centre is one of the oldest, and Shevchenko Park is the largest historic park by the sea.

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Author: Maria Svitlovir

Graduated from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Institute of Biology and Medicine (2001). BSc in Biology, MSc in Horticulture. Writes about plants, works at a garden centre selecting and repotting plants, and contributes to plant reference guides.