BOTANICAL GARDENS ST. VINCENT

It is one of the most important and popular sites in St. Vincent. It is one of the oldest botanical gardens. It is also an important conservation site (especially for the St. Vincent parrot).

This beautiful garden covers 8 hectares and is located 10 minutes drive from the capital Kingstown. It was created in 1765 by General Robert Melville who was at the time governor of the Windward Islands. The botanical garden was founded for the conservation of rare and wild plants as well as for the importation of other species growing in the same climate. The first curator was a horticulturist, Dr. Young, also a surgeon in the British forces. St. Vincent was then invaded by the French from 1770 to 1783 but Dr. Young remained and took care of the gardens. He worked in collaboration with General De Bouillé, commander in chief of the French forces in Martinique and also a horticulturalist. These two green-thumbed men exchanged plants with each other for the botanical gardens of St Vincent and Martinique respectively.

Among the wide variety of tropical trees and shrubs, you will find breadfruit trees, an original variety imported by Captain Bligh, but also baobabs, flamboyants, cane trees, banyans, campêches, pirayas, frangipanis, avocado trees, mango trees but also plants such as orchids