Pearson died in 1916 from pneumonia. He was buried in his beloved garden, and his epitaph is still there today : "If ye seek his monument, look around". Since 1913, The garden has been successively administered by the "Botanical Society of South Africa", the "National Botanic Gardens of South Africa", the National Botanical Institute, and the South African Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) from 2004. The garden celebrated its centenary in 2013, issuing the commemorative book "Kirstenbosch: The Most Beautiful Garden in Africa".