Shymkent State Dendrological Park was established in 1979. The creation of the dendrological park in South Kazakhstan was driven by several important reasons. Despite the region’s favorable climatic conditions, many types of natural tree and plant vegetation were absent. Therefore, it was decided to establish a dendrological park by planting various species of trees and shrubs representing the flora of different geographical regions of the world in order to determine their ability to grow under the conditions of South Kazakhstan.

The main goal was to identify the most useful species of trees and shrubs for the national economy and to promote their widespread cultivation in the region, which would contribute to the development of agriculture and forestry. This also created opportunities to study the most valuable tree species and determine their resistance to summer heat, low air humidity, frost, and other local environmental conditions. In addition, the dendrological park became an excellent educational resource for school pupils and students of secondary and higher educational institutions.

The general plan of the Shymkent Dendrological Park was developed by the “Soyuzgiproris” design institute in cooperation with the Shymkent Regional Agricultural Experimental Station. This station served as the main customer responsible for the construction, landscaping, and future maintenance of the park. The total area of the dendrological park originally covered 120.52 hectares. The territory had previously been used as a municipal waste disposal site and had a complex landscape, requiring extensive preparatory work before planting trees and shrubs.

The dendrological park included floral zones of Kazakhstan and Central Asia; Europe, Crimea, and the Caucasus; North America; East Asia, Siberia, and Altai. Several specialized sections were also created, including collections of coniferous trees, mountain plants of Kazakhstan and Asia, an experimental zone, intensive orchards, a mother nursery, ornamental and fruit tree nurseries, an alpine garden, lemon and rose gardens. In total, more than 6,000 trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants were planted.

Enriching the green fund of the dendrological park with new, resilient, and valuable species of trees and shrubs became highly important for many regions of Kazakhstan. For this purpose, various species of trees and shrubs with different ecological and geographical origins were selected and tested in the park. Among the cultivated plants were both wild and cultivated forms.

The experience of the Tashkent Botanical Garden and the Central Asian Forestry Research Institute demonstrated that many tree species originating from North America were of great interest to southern Kazakhstan because they adapted well and spread successfully under Central Asian conditions. Today, these trees are widely planted along city streets, in parks, and in protective forest belts.

The dendrological park also served as an experimental base for scientific research in horticulture and viticulture. For this purpose, the establishment of a 6.5-hectare intensive orchard was planned within the park, along with a collection garden of fruit trees and grape varieties intended for southern Kazakhstan.

Seeds and saplings of trees were delivered to the nursery from all regions of Kazakhstan. In 1980, the park was visited for the first time by D. A. Kunaev, Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the Kazakh SSR, along with other prominent figures, who planted trees there.