Botanic Gardens of Penang

Penang

Air Itam Dam
Botanic Gardens
BORR
Canopy Walkway
Ceruk Tok Kun
Crag Hotel
Mengkuang Dam
Metropolitan Relau Park
Moniot Road
Pantai Kamloon
Penang Hill
PNP 2004
Teluk Bayu

Kedah
ForestExplorers

BOTANIC GARDENS PENANG

The signboard at Botanic Gardens.

Upon entering the main gate of Botanic Gardens, you will be greeted by a huge raintree (Enterolobium saman). It is native to Central America. Commonly called Pokok Pukul Lima (5 o'clock tree) as the tree folds its leaves in the evening.

The History

Botanic Gardens were formally an old granite quarry. It was formed in 1884 by Charles Curtis and at that time it was called "The Waterfall Gardens". A huge waterfall can still be seen along a section of the Lower Circular Road. Ponies were used to transport water from this water source to the town.
The proposal for a dam in 1910 did not materialize when the project was abandoned in 1912. The Japanese used the Gardens to store torpedos at the Orchids' garden near the Lily pond. Story has been told that the flooded Lily Pond was the site of hidden treasures. Year after year, there were treasure hunters digging for treasure around the Botanic Gardens...and a few had been buried alive.

If you start from the left of the Lower Circular Road, you will not miss this Cannon Ball tree (Couroupita guianensis). It is a native of South America. The fruits is about the size of cannon balls.

The red cannon ball flower can be seen the whole year.

Long-tailed macaque at the Cannon Ball Tree. They have been a nuisance to the gardens plants when they damaged young plants although they were a main tourist attraction.

No Feeding please. Feeding has caused these unpredictable wild monkeys to be dependent on human foods. They can attack when you try to prevent your food from being snatched.

These trees seemed to be performing a dance.

The clean clear cut grassy gardens along the Upper Circular Road.

The dusky leaf monkey was once a shy animal. They normally feed on young shoots. This monkey was leading his pack across the road.

Tourists enjoy snapping photographs of a monitor lizard strolling in the gardens.

Golden Shower (Cassia fistula) has beautiful flowers. Its hardened fruits of long black pods are used as a treatment for constipation.

Beautiful scene created by the shades of trees in the gardens.

And thus you might be able to see couple having their wedding photos taken in the gardens.

The blooming Bungor (Langerstroemia loundonii) is a sight not to be missed. It blooms during the drier months of March to May.

The stream came from the waterfall above.