Mauritius Pamplemousses gardens

In May 2016 we had a week's holiday in Mauritius in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Africa. I realised I didn't bring any photos to you, so today I am sharing with you some photos from the Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Botantic Gardens in Pamplemousses. 

Covering an area of about 37 hectares the garden dates back to the French period of Mauritian history. In 1736, the French Governor, Mahe de Labourdonnais, chose to set up his domain around the present main gate of the garden. In 1767 the French Intendant Pierre Poivre, the creator of the garden, introduced vegetables, fruits, flowers and spices from all over the world. 


Today the garden is famed as being the oldest Botanic Garden in the southern hemisphere. The garden has a collection of rare and magnificent plant species brought in from around the world and also plants native to Mauritius. Several areas of the garden have been created to house medicinal plants, endemic flora, spices and ferns, as well as orchids. 

There are over 80 species of palms throughout the garden.

One of the main attractions is the water lily pond which features the giant water lily - Victoria amazonica.  which was first introduced to the garden in 1927.

Native to tropical South America, Victoria amazonica was first discovered in Bolivia in 1801 and named Eurgale amazonica . It was subsequently moved to a new genus named in honour of Queen Victoria (originally as Victoria regia ). In South America it grows in the backwaters of rivers in the Amazon basin, the Guianas and the Pantanal.

The enormous circular leaves, which grow to over 2.5 m across, have upturned rims and are anchored by long stalks arising from an underground stem buried in the mud of the river bottom.The spectacular flowers are relatively short-lived, lasting only 48 hours or so.

Another pond features the Indian lotus - Nelumbo nucifera 

The garden attracts around 250,000 visitors annually and is one of the main attractions of the island. Its shady paths and quiet pools are a welcome respite from the heat of the busy streets. If you visit Mauritius you certainly must add it to your list of places to visit.

Thank you so much for stopping by. I hope you have enjoyed this little look at the garden.  I value your comments and look forward to hearing from you. I will try to visit your blogs in return. Have a wonderful week.  

You might also be interested to know that there are several endemic species of hibiscus in Mauritius, and these colourful plants are a favourite in Mauritian gardens.  

You can learn more about the giant water lily here - Kew Science - Plants of the world online

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