Singapore Botanic Gardens
Singapore Botanic Gardens
The first “Botanical and Experimental Garden” in Singapore was established in 1922 on Government Hill at Fort Canning by Sir Stamford Raffles, the founder of modern Singapore and a keen naturalist. The Garden’s main task was to evaluate for cultivation, crops which were of potential economic importance, including yielding fruits, vegetable, spices and other raw materials.
This Garden closed in 1829 and it was not until 30 years later that the present Singapore Botanic Gardens was founded by an agri-horticultural society. It was subsequently handed over to the government for mainteinance and today is looked after by the National Parks Board.
In the early years, the Gardens played an important role in fostering agricultural development in Singapore and the region through collecting, growing, experimenting and distributing potentially useful plants.
One of the earliest and most important examples was the introduction from Brazil in 1977 of Para Rubber (Heva brasiliensis). This became a major crop that brought great prosperity to the South East Asian region. Quality research, both horticultural and botanical, has been conducted at the Botanic Gardens through the years, and many of the publications are authoritative references to plants in this region.
The Gardens spearheaded orchid breeding and hybridisation programmes and played a key role in Singapore’s Garden City programme through the continual introduction of plants of horticultural and botanical value. The comprehensive herbarium and reference library at the Gardens are critical resources on horticultural and the regional flora.
In addition, the living plant collection, the Education Outreach and the various publications serve to promote public education on landscape planting, horticulture, botany and nature appreciation.
The Singapore Botanic Gardens has come a long way since 1859. From an experimental station and a pleasure park for family recreation, it has evolved into a fine tropical botanic garden and an important centre for research.
The Gardens is now in the process of making major improvements and creating new horticultural attractions to enhance visitor enjoyment and to make it a leading botanic institution and a key regional park.
Opening hours
5 am - 12 am daily (grounds)
8:30 am - 7 pm (National Orchid Gardens)
Admission
Free (Botanic Gardens)
Adults; $5, Students/Senior citizens; $1 (National Orchid Gardens)
Getting there
SBS no. 7, 105, 123, 174, 502 (alight along Holland Road)
TIBS no. 75, 77, 106 (alight along Holland Road)
SBS no. 66, 151, 153, 154, 156, 170, 186 (alight along Bukit Timah Road)
TIBS no. 67, 171 (alight along Bukit Timah Road)
