Botanical Garden, so-call "kebun Bunga" for malay language
"Kebun" = Garden
"Bunga" = Flower
For long long time ago, when i still a kid, my parent always bring me to Botanical Garden.
In my memories, Botanical garden have alot of "Monkey". We feed monkey ground nut!other then monkey, there also have deer, bearin the cave!
Lets see some of the History of Botanical Garden:
The Penang Botanic Gardens, more popularly known as "Waterfall Gardens", was established by the British way back in 1884 from an old granite quarry site. It lies in a deep valley, at the foot of 366 feet jungle clad hills, bound by evergreen tropical rainforests, divided by a cascading stream that meanders through a sprawling 29 hectares of prime and undulating grounds.
Its lush greenery and tranquil setting makes it a favourite park and a popular tourist attraction. It is Penang's unique natural heritage, being the only one of its kind in Malaysia. Besides, being a repository of flora & fauna, unique to the country and to the region, it serves as a "green lung" for metropolitan Penang.During its earliest days, it functioned as part of the then Gardens and Forests Department, Straits Settlements and was engaged chiefly in the cultivation of essential commercial plants such as spices, pepper, nutmegs, and cloves albeit inspecting and advising the planting community generally.
'P' - Ornamental Plant House
'6' - Fern House
'D' - Cactus House
'Lily Pond' - The Lily Pond
The Gardens' first curator, Mr Charles Curtis, from the Department of Gardens and Forests, Straits Settlements, developed the botanical and horticultural aspects. Mr Curtis was a devoted gardener and avid plant lover who tirelessly transformed this granite quarry site into a magnificent Garden. The artistic layout of the Gardens was indeed a great achievement for it blends naturally with the setting of the tropical rainforests and yet seemingly a civilized landscape. The development of Penang Botanic Gardens was very much due to his efforts, enthusiasm, energy and skill. In conjunction with this and as a tribute to him, quite a sizeble number of plants are named after him.Moreover, in 1885, it is on record that no less than 11,500 saplings were supplied from the Gardens' nursery for tree planting exercise in and around the island.The administration of the Gardens was under the auspices of the then Strait Settlements Gardens Department with a notable line of colonial directors succeeding one after another. For instance in 1925, Prof. R. E. Holttum succeeded Mr. I. H. Burkill as director of both the Singapore and Penang Botanic Gardens. Both of them contributed much in terms of research in the identification and reclassification of plants of the Malaysian flora.After the 2nd world war, owing to some administrative policy changes, a decision was reached to divorce the Penang Botanic Gardens from its parent establishments in Singapore in 1946.In 1956, the first Malaysian - Mr. Cheang Kok Choy was at the helm of the Gardens who has worked as a trainee gardener especially under the colonial masters. He meticulously managed to carry out the policy laid by his predecessors for the past 20 years until 1976.
CommonName: Cannon-Ball Tree
Botanical Name: Couroupita guanensis
Family: Lecythidaceae
Origin: Guyana
A beautiful fast growing tree which reaches 25m in height. The
leaves have a life span of approximately 6 months after which they
are shed rapidly so that the crown is usually bare for a day or
two.
A remarkable flowering tree bearing large pinkish red, fragrant
waxy flowers borne on tree trunk on long woody twigs. Later, followed
by large reddish brown globular fruits, which attain the size of
human head and contain a mass of sour smelling pulp, take 8-9 months
to ripen.
Flowering continues for many weeks. Ideally suited in large gardens
and parks.
Common
Name: Candle Tree
Botanical Name: Parmentiera cereifera
Family : Bignoniaceae
Origin: Panama
An evergreen tree with brown trunk and growing up to 6 to 10m.
The flowers are big, solitary, bell shape and white in colour, measuring
8cm wide.
The palmate leaves look trifoliate in appearance, ovate in shape
and green in colour. Fruits look like little green candles with
17cm long on its trunk and branches. The fruits are yellow when
ripe.
Common Name: 'Baobab' or 'Monkey bread tree'
Botanical Name: Adansonia digitata
Family: Bombacaceae
Origin: Central Africa
A low spreading tree, bearing scented, pendulous white flowers,
oblong woody hairy fruits 30cm long, which also earned it the name
"Dead rat-tree".
It is famous for its great age and the swollen trunk attains a diameter
of more than 10m. The trunk with age becomes decayed and hollowed
out in the centre, forming a reservoir, sometimes holding as much
as 250 gallons of water. It is suppose to be one of the longest-lived
tree in the world and reputed to attain an age of 2000 years.
It is chiefly used in the paper industry.
Common
Name: Argus Pheasant Tree, Asam Kuang, Sekuan, Sengkuang
Botanical Name : Dracantomelon dao
Family: Anacardiaceae (Mango Family)
Origin: Indo-Malesia
This is a tall deciduous tree reaching 31m in height with rounded crown and strong buttressed trunk when old. It is a handsome ornamental
tree.
The Sengkuang is a village fruit tree well sought after by children.
The flowers and leaves are also edible.
The five equatorial flecks on the fruit are characteristic and resembles
the markings on the feathers of Argus Pheasant and thus the name.
Common Name: Ebony Tree
Botanical Name: Diospyros embryopteris
Family: Ebenanceae
Origin: India, Java & Thailand
An evergreen, stout and shady wide spreading tree with dense
dark green glossy leaves. It has a compact, dome shaped conical
crown.
The flowers are fused and have a light creamy colour and the edible
fruits are feathery brown in colour.
In India, the young fruits are mainly and economically used in dyeing
and tanning. For instance, the young fruits have medicinal values
and traded for dyeing cottons and toughening fishing nets. A special
oil extracted from the seeds is used in traditional Indian medicine.
It is suitably grown as an ornamental and shade tree for parks and
open spaces.
Visitor Information
Open from 5.00 am to 8.00 pm every day of the year.
Admission is free.
Available at the Gardens Office from 8.00 am to 4.30 pm on working
weekdays. Closed on weekends and public holidays.
The Penang Botanic Gardens was selected as a healthy recreational
gardens and tourist destination by the Health Ministry of Malaysia.
The Gardens is located at the far end of Jalan Kebun Bunga, approximately
8 km from Georgetown city. You can reach there by boarding transit
link bus No.7. Parking bays for motor vehicles are provided and it
is located nearby the main entrance.
Refreshments and souvenirs are available at the Gardens Shop (Botanika)
besides the Formal Gardens.
Recreational / Picnic areas, toilets, wheelchair access walkways,
bandstand, gazebos, jogging tracks, jungle trails, resting lawns and
plant nursery.
Available only by prior arrangement - phone 604-2270428
Information Bought to you by Penang Botanical Garden
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