At the entrance to the Botanical Garden enclosure, visitors are welcomed by two rows of deciduous trees of different species, leading towards the buildings of the Institute of Botany of the University of Castilla-La Mancha on the left, and the headquarters of the Botanical Garden of Castilla-La Mancha on the right: the ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba), a living fossil whose oldest representatives date back almost 300 million years; the chinaberry or bead tree (Melia azedarach), of Asian origin, whose cultivation was promoted by Muslims on the Iberian Peninsula; and two specimens of elm (Ulmus minor) resistant to Dutch elm disease, a disease that decimated millions of trees of this genus across Europe during the 20th century.

Beyond the buildings, upon entering the Garden itself, visitors reach the access plaza. This semi-circular space, shaped like a Roman theatre, is designed to host events such as concerts, theatrical performances and exhibitions. In the lower beds, there are hedges of lavandin (Lavandula × intermedia), the cultivated hybrid of spike lavender (L. latifolia) and true lavender (L. angustifolia), which border other low-growing plants and two specimens of Spanish fir (Abies pinsapo), the threatened Andalusian fir. Integrated into the stepped seating are beds of various shrubs and trees of ornamental value, such as Berberis thunbergii, Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus tricuspidata), the silk tree or Constantinople acacia (Albizia julibrissin), and the dwarf pomegranate (Punica granatum var. nana), as well as wild species native to the Iberian Peninsula that have been used ornamentally: dogwood (Cornus sanguinea), the three Iberian viburnums (Viburnum opulus, V. tinus and V. lantana), and the threatened Portuguese laurel (Prunus lusitanica), a species classified as Vulnerable in the Regional Catalogue of Threatened Species of Castilla-La Mancha and present in the Montes de Toledo.

In the four planting beds flanking the central ramp and the two side ramps, visitors can see an example of Mediterranean native gardening, using plants typical of the Castilla-La Mancha environment, such as grey candytuft (Iberis saxatilis subsp. cinerea), esparto grass (Macrochloa tenacissima), Jerusalem sage or mullein sage (Phlomis lychnitis), hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis), winter savoury (Satureja montana) and cotton lavender or southernwood (Santolina chamaecyparissus), among others, accompanied by olive trees (Olea europaea) and almond trees (Prunus dulcis). In this way, the aim is to show visitors and gardening enthusiasts that it is possible to maintain colourful gardens with low water consumption through the use of native Mediterranean plants, many of which show a greater or lesser degree of xerophily*.

Likewise, in springtime, the flowers of certain daffodils (Narcissus var. Ice Follies) appear, hidden among the planting beds.

Xerophily: xerophytic plants (also called xerophytes or xerophilous plants) display adaptations to dry and arid environments where water is scarce, such as hardened or hairy leaves that reduce dehydration, long root systems, or tissues that store water, among others.