The Singapore Botanic Gardens – A leading Botanic institution and Regional park
1 Cluny Road
Singapore 259569
Tel: 6471 7361, 6471 7138 Fax 6473 7983

The Singapore Botanic Gardens – A leading Botanic institution and Regional park

Established in 1859 at its present location, the Singapore Botanic Gardens, showcasing the best and most spectacular of tropical flora, played an important historical role and promotion of many plants of economic valve to South East Asia, including the Para rubber tree. Today, the 63.7 hectare Gardens is a key civic and community regional recreation park, an important national tourist destination as well as a leading tropical and horticultural institution.

The Singapore Botanic Gardens play host to more than three million visitors each year. Its collection of more than 10 000 types of plants include the region’s most significant living collection of documented palms, orchids, cycads and gingers. The Garden is also an important centre for tropical botanical and horticultural research, education and conservation.

National Orchid Garden

Nestled in the Central Core of the Singapore Botanic Gardens is the National Orchid Garden , one of the masterpieces of garden design. From the entrance, a waterfall with its elegant bronze cranes welcomes visitors to its gently curving trails. Spread over three hectares on the highest hill in the Gardens, the landscape design sets the beauty of the massed effect of over 60 000 colorful orchid-plants against contrasting textures and shapes of tropical foliage.

Opened by Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew on 20 October 1995, this most comprehensive collection of tropical orchids in the world is the crown jewel of the Gardens. The informal paths within its compound meander through four distinct colour zones. Each contains a palette of colours representing the fours seasons.

The Green Pavilion

The Botany Centre at the Tanglin Core won the Greenmark Award in 2006. The Green Pavilion house the visitors services desk and features Singapore’s first pitched green roof. A celebration of Nature’s resilience, the green roof showcases hardy plants like epiphytes, the bird’s Nest Fern (Asplenium nidus) and the Tiger Orchid (Gramatophyllum speciosa). The green roof is a pilot project and forms part of NParks’ efforts to leverage on new technology to promote skyrise greenery in Singapore

The Herbarium and Library

The Herbarium is the Singapore Botanic Gardens’ nerve-centre. A plant ‘museum’ or ‘library’, it houses over two centuries’ acuminated knowledge and actual plant collections, attracting the world’s scientist. Custom-built with a controlled environment, compactus and the preparation rooms, the Herbarium houses about 650 000 specimens, The Herbarium’s oldest specimen date from 1790.

The Herbarium and Library are open for botanical and horticultural enquiries of a professional nature. Permission to use these important scientific resources may be gained by written request.

Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden - Asia's First Children's Garden

The Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden was officially opened by Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, at the Singapore Botanic Gardens on
Children’s Day.

Dedicated to all children of Singapore, the Children’s Garden aims to provide a place for children to play, explore and have fun in. It will cultivate an appreciation for plants, nature and the environment among the young. It is created as a unique and interactive garden where children up to 12 years of age can discover that plants are wonderful and provide for their daily needs. This is captured in the theme for the Garden: ‘All Life On Earth Depends on Plants’.

On 25 April 2002, the Singapore Botanic Gardens took top honors at the 17th World Orchid Conference Show, wining the prestigious Grand Champion Award with the top landscape exhibit and the Gold Medal for quality.

The Gardens is now in the process of making major improvements and creating new horticultural attractions to enhance visitors’ enjoyment and to make it a leading botanic institution, and a key regional park.

The Singapore Botanic Gardens is managed by National Parks Board.