National Botanical Garden of Seychelles

National Botanical Garden of Seychelles
National Botanical Garden of Seychelles
Victoria Botanical Gardens or Mont Fleuri Botanical Gardens or Jardin Botanique
	Main entrance to Seychelles National Botanical Gardens in Victoria, Seychelles (2019)
	National Botanical Garden of Seychelles
Type	Botanical garden
Location	Mont Fleuri, Mahé, Seychelles
Coordinates	4°37′51″S 55°27′11″E / 4.630737°S 55.4529919°E
Area	15 acres
Opened	1901
Operated by	Ministry of Agriculture, Climate Change & Environment
Visitors	26,000 per year
Status	Open year round
Website	Official website

The National Botanical Garden of Seychelles (also known as Victoria Botanical Garden and Mont Fleuri Botanical Garden) in Mahé, Seychelles.

History

The garden was founded in 1901 by Mauritian agronomist Paul Evenor Rivalz Dupont,^[1] who served as the Director of Agricultural Services and Naturalist of Seychelles, with the aim of creating an agricultural station.

As of March 2024 the botanical garden accommodate both departments of Seychelles' Ministry of Agriculture, Climate Change & Environment: the Department of Climate Change & Energy, and the Department of Environment, which is also tasked with overseeing the management of the place.^[2]

Research

The main objective of the garden is to function as a central hub for the preservation and study of biodiversity, featuring an arboretum and modern facilities for micropropagation and tissue culture. With an accession number of 500 and a cultivation taxa number of 150, the garden hosts special collections including a Biodiversity Centre and historically significant plants collected by its founder. Notably, it cultivates over 60% of the Seychelles' endemic flowering plants from the granitic islands, with an additional 20% undergoing trials in the propagation house. Active monitoring and management of invasive species are conducted to safeguard the native flora. The garden implements comprehensive conservation programmes, including efforts to conserve medicinal plants, ex situ conservation, and reintroduction programmes for endangered species, contributing significantly to the protection and restoration of Seychelles' unique biodiversity.^[3]

Gallery

Aldabrachelys gigantea, at the Botanical Garden
The main entry passage of the Botanical Garden
The Indian President, Pratibha Devisingh Patil visits the Botanical Garden, at Seychelles on May 01, 2012.
Several Lodoicea maldivica can be seen in the Botanical Garden
The Guangzhou Garden in the Botanical Garden of Victoria, Seychelles
Pandanus sechellarum, growing in the Botanical Garden
Etlingera elatior grows in the Botanical Garden
Alocasia macrorrhizos in the Botanic Garden
Entry timings of the Botanical Gardens