The World Heritage tropical garden in Singapore
The Singapore Botanic Gardens is a more than 160 years old tropical garden, located at the fringe of the Orchard Road shopping district in Singapore. It is one of three gardens, and the only tropical garden, to be honoured as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Situated at the heart of the city of Singapore, the site demonstrates the evolution of a British tropical colonial botanic garden, that has become a modern world-class scientific institution, used for both conservation and education.
The cultural landscape includes a rich variety of historic features, plantings and buildings, that demonstrate the development of the garden since its creation in 1859.
It has been an important centre for science, research and plant conservation, notably in connection with the cultivation of rubber plantations, in Southeast Asia since 1875.
The National Orchid Garden, which is located within the main gardens, is at the forefront of orchid studies, and a pioneer in the cultivation of hybrids, complementing the nation’s status as a major exporter of cut orchids. Aided by the equatorial climate, it houses the largest orchid collection of 1,200 species and 2,000 hybrids.
