Smashed bottles, cans and other rubbish was strewn over the picturesque hillside area and many exotic plants were trampled on or ripped out of the ground and thrown into the fountain.
A Dunedin City Council spokesman said the damaged plants included a single 2m-tall Arbutus canariensis and several mature Echium pininana.
"The Arbutus was damaged beyond saving.
"This species is not readily available in New Zealand and is particularly difficult to propagate.
"This particular plant was propagated in-house and nurtured for several years before being planted, so it was devastating for staff to see it destroyed in this manner.
"We do not have a replacement plant available."
He said the Echium pininana were nearing the end of their growing lives when pulled out and fortunately they were able to be propagated easily from seed.
"Nonetheless, they are still an important element of the display for the public and that has now been lost.
"Several other groups of plants were also trampled and crushed but will eventually recover."
He said the damaged plants were part of the Mediterranean collection, so replacements would need to fit that theme.
"Replacement Echiums will be grown from seed and planted to achieve a similar look over the next two or three years.
"We don’t have a replacement Arbutus available at present, but we will consider our options.
"Most plants for these collections are sourced from seed exchanges with botanic gardens in the Mediterranean region and it can take a number of years to source, grow and plant replacements."
He said it was difficult to put a cost on the damage that had been done.
"Costs include an estimated $1000 to eventually return an Arbutus to the display, as well as the staff time involved in removing rubbish and cleaning up the site.
"We can’t put a monetary value on the distress these sorts of incidents cause to our dedicated team."
He called on everyone in Dunedin to respect the garden as a wonderful, peaceful space for locals, students and tourists to appreciate.
