2. TRIVIA AND FACTS ABOUT SINGAPORE BOTANIC GARDENS
A testament to Singapore’s reputation as a City in a Garden,
the Botanic Gardens is the country’s first UNESCO Heritage
Site.
The Gardens is the first and only tropical botanic garden
on the UNESCO’s World Heritage List. It is the first in
Asia and the third botanic gardens inscribed in the world
following Orto botanico di Padova and the Royal Botanic
Gardens, Kew.
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 successes was the introduction,
experimentation and promotion of Para Rubber, Hevea
brasiliensis. This became a major crop that brought great
prosperity to the South East Asian region in the early 20th
century. From 1928, the Gardens spearheaded orchid breeding
and started its orchid hybridisation programme, facilitated
by new in vitro techniques pioneered in its laboratories.
In contemporary times, the Gardens also played a key role
in Singapore’s Garden City programme through the continual
introduction of plants of horticultural and botanical
interest.
Established in 1859 by the Agri-Horticultural Society, the
82-hectare Gardens holds a unique and significant place in
the history of Singapore and the region.
As well as being a favourite recreation venue for jogging,
dining or just lazing about, the sprawling grounds are also
a leading centre for botanical and horticultural research.
Highlights include The National Orchid Garden, which boasts
the world’s largest orchid display, with over 60,000 plants
and orchid plants.
Meanwhile, the SBG Heritage Museum features interactive and
multimedia exhibits and panels that detail the Gardens'
rich heritage, while the CDL Green Gallery displays
botanical-related exhibits.
