The history of West Indian gardens is absolutely fascinating and the wealth of plants to be found in the region is due largely to the botanical gardens established in the middle of the 19th century. The names Bath, Castleton, and Chincona probably mean little to most people this Sunday morning. But not to Jamaicans, for in the 19th century there were very important botanical gardens on an island which then had the most important research centre for botanical science.

The low level Bath Garden contained many medicinal plants, sago palms, litchi, tea plants, camphor, and trees producing cabinet wood and dyes. It also contained the first specimens of the akee (now covering many of the islands) brought from Africa by slave ships, breadfruit brought by Captain Bligh, and mangoes, cinnamon, pandanus, and Asian ebony taken from a French warship by Admiral Rodney. The Castleton garden with…..