Botanical Gardens

First phase of botanical gardens open to public

THE first phase of the Perak Botanical Gardens with some 10,000 plants and 120 species is now open to the public.

Completed in November last year, it consists of four themed areas: Palmatum garden, Perak Malay garden, northern zone endemic garden and a themed park over a 5.7ha area.

The Palmatum garden has been planted with various palm and cycad trees.

They include the Roystonea regia, Cycas rumphii, Licuala grandis, Beintinckia nicobarica, Livistonia rotundifolia and Ravenala Madagascariensis.

The Perak Malay garden has plants like Antiaris toxicaria (Ipoh tree), Hibiscus

floccosus (Kangsar), Garcinia hombroniana (Beruas) and Alstonia scholaris (Pulai).

The northern zone endemic garden has plant species found in Perak, Penang, Kedah and Perlis.

These include Maingaya malaya

(witch hazel), Durio pinangianus (durian), Johanesteijsmannia perakensis (Daun Payung Perak) and Cycas clivicola (Bogak).

The garden is said to be only the fourth in the world to have the Maingaya malaya.

The themed park is like a mini version of the Botanical Gardens with a collection of plants from all the themed areas.

A pre-launch ceremony was witnessed by Perak state secretary Zainal Azman Abu Seman.

The 22.6ha gardens is located near the Taiping Lake Gardens and is a collaboration between Taiping Municipal Council and the National Landscape Department.

Zainal Azman (in white shirt, right) at the pre-launch ceremony of the Perak Botanical Gardens in Taiping.

The first phase of the development cost about RM10mil, with two more phases to begin soon.

The second phase will cost about RM24mil and the third about RM16mil, totalling RM50mil.

These include the development of more themed gardens, a fernery, orchidarium, wetlands and a Perakensis garden.

The entire project will be developed over 10 years.

A municipal council spokesman said entry to the gardens was free until further notice.

“The main purpose of the gardens is for education and research.

“Conceptually, it is based on a living museum for plants, namely a collection centre to showcase the various species of plants with aesthetic and scientific value.

“The gardens will act as as both a conservation and recreational area, ” added the spokesman.

 – METRO NEWS, by Ivan Loh
24 Aug 2019