The Xining Botanical Garden in the northern part of the city preserves and displays the plant life of the Tibetan Plateau — a surprisingly rich flora for an environment many visitors assume to be barren. The garden contains specimens of Himalayan and plateau medicinal plants, specimens of the many wild grass species that support the plateau's grazing animals, and a section dedicated to the ornamental plants found in traditional Tibetan courtyard gardens.
The garden is pleasant in summer when the alpine wildflowers are in bloom; late June through July is the most colourful period. It is less developed than the major botanical gardens of China's east-coast cities but serves a useful educational function in a region where the natural environment is under increasing pressure from climate change and overgrazing. Admission is free. Located in the Chengbei district near the biotech park.