Plant Collections & Gardens
The Singapore Botanic Gardens is an 82-hectare living museum with a primary rainforest and more than 300 plant families represented across various taxonomic, thematic, and heritage collections.
Last updated 28 May 2026
Key figures
>300
Plant families
49,000
Unique accessions
9,700
Species
1859
Oldest specimen
Collections (alphabetical)
Apocynaceae highlights
Commonly known as dogbane or milkweed, species of Apocynaceae are the highlights of these three unique gardens – Frangipani Garden, Hoya House and Sun Garden. The collection perfectly illustrates the diversity of this taxonomic group and what unites them as one family.
Frangipani Garden
A picturesque lawn lined with familiar Plumeria trees, known for their heady fragrance and vibrant visual palette.
Hoya House
Comprising over 70 lowland species and cultivars, it represents years of dedicated work by our researchers and horticulturists.
Sun Garden
With its bizarre succulents and thick, stiff spines, it feels like a momentary trip to the desert — minus the flight.
Bougainvillea Collection
Step into a burst of colour at the Bougainvillea Collection in Eco Garden. Originally from South America, the collection here was first introduced to Singapore by Eric Holttum, who served as the Director of the Singapore Botanic Gardens from 1925 to 1949.
Bougainvillea at the Eco Garden
Explore the diverse growth forms and hardy, year-round blooms that define this vibrant landscape in the Eco Garden.
The Art of the Hybrid
Get a closer look at the stunning Bougainvillea x buttiana 'Mrs McClean' and other varieties that showcase the diversity of the collection.
Bold and Beautiful
Admire the vivid reddish-purple bracts of the Bougainvillea x spectoglabra 'Mrs Fraser' that has become an iconic part of our landscape.
Dipterocarpaceae Collection
The Dipterocarpaceae family consists of slow-growing trees which are commonly known as the backbone species of lowland rainforests in Southeast Asia. The Gardens houses nearly two hundred species of dipterocarps, most of them threatened.
OCBC Arboretum
The arboretum boasts one of the largest collections of Dipterocarpaceae in Southeast Asia, with trails taking you through a showcase of six main genera.
Timber Collection
Many dipterocarps are hardwood species owing to their slow-growing nature. View some of the rarest timber species around the Eco Garden.
Shorea Collection
Stand beneath the majestic Shorea trees at the Tanglin Main Gate. Featuring a collection of 30 species, the genus was recently split to include the subgenera Rubroshorea and Anthoshorea.
Eco Garden and Eco Lake, Ethnobotany and Evolution Gardens
Eco Garden and Eco Lake
The Eco Garden blends "eco-nomic" utility with "eco-logical" landscapes, featuring hardwoods, bamboo and spices.
Ethnobotany Garden
Showcasing over 300 species across four zones, this garden highlights traditional folk medicine, domestic construction, consumption, and plants of cultural significance to the hunter-gatherers of yesteryear.
Evolution Garden
Designed by Junichi Inada, this trail traces 3.5 billion years of plant evolution, featuring petrified wood, models of lepidodendrons, and the Gardens' only moss collection.
Fabaceae, the Fernery, Foliage and Fragrant Gardens
Fabaceae Collection
Fabaceae (legume family) is one of the most economically important plant families. Over 70 species of trees, climbers and shrubs are showcased here.
Fernery
Established in 1889 for orchids, this sanctuary now features one of the oldest groups of plants.
Foliage Garden
Focusing on leaves, this themed garden illustrates the use of foliage in landscape design. Explore the diverse foliage of Begonia, Cordyline and Nepenthes.
Fragrant Garden
Experience the wafting floral aromas from the Ylang-Ylang, Cape Jasmine and Arabian Jasmine along the red brick path.
Ginger Garden
This one-hectare sanctuary houses over 550 species from the ginger order (Zingiberales). Spanning four geographical zones, it highlights species hailing from Asia, Africa and Tropical America.
Discover the Ginger Garden
Step into a world of vibrant blooms and exotic foliage, where our ginger collections await discovery.
Waterfalls, Caves and Lily Ponds
At the heart of the Ginger Garden, a tranquil lily pond sits alongside a stunning waterfall and hidden moss-covered cave.
Where Nature Meets Art
A mural at the Garden's entrance celebrates the diversity of the Zingiberales order, a colourful introduction to the botanical wonders within.
Healing Garden
This garden features plants that have been recognised for their medicinal properties and traditional uses in Southeast Asia as healing remedies.
Nature's Own Medicine Cabinet
The Healing Garden is home to medicinal plant varieties traditionally used across Southeast Asia, thoughtfully arranged by the parts of the body they treat — from head to respiratory and reproductive health.
Star of the Medicinal Plant World
The Madagascar periwinkle is a flowering plant renowned for its beauty and life-saving compounds used in cancer treatment worldwide. View its other famous cousins here in the Healing Garden.
Nature Immersion
Immerse yourself in a tranquil moment of mindfulness amidst nature at the Healing Garden, a peaceful sanctuary away from the bustle of everyday life.
Michelin Rubber Plot, Myristicaceae and the Myrtaceae Collection
Michelin Rubber Plot
The planting trials and cultivation of rubber trees first took place on this very spot. Now, it houses rubber trees from the GT1 clone, a widely-used commercial rubber tree, planted in partnership with Michelin in 2018.
Myristicaceae
The nutmeg family is a fascinating group of trees recognised for their aromatic leaves and fruits. View species such as Horsfieldia superba, among many others, outside the Healing Garden.
Myrtaceae Collection
Tucked within the living tapestry of the Singapore Botanic Gardens, the Myrtaceae collection showcases a remarkable family of plants known for their aromatic foliage, vibrant blooms, and ecological importance.
Palm Valley
Established in 1879, Palm Valley features 350+ species of palms across nine plots.
Palms, Palms, Palms
Walk among the diverse world of palms, from the elegant Arecoideae to the fan-shaped Coryphoideae.
A Botanical Curiosity
Admire one of the most intriguing palms, the Lodoicea maldivica (double coconut), renowned for producing the largest seed in the world.
Heliwalk
The Palm Valley is also home to over 90 species and cultivars of Heliconias.
Trellis Garden
The Trellis Garden is dedicated to showcasing species with special adaptations to climb vertical trellises using either tendrils, hooks or twining stems. Opened in 2011, it houses a collection of X species.
A Labyrinth of Lianas
Step into a labyrinth of lianas and admire their intricately woven stems as they twist overhead across the trellis.
Veins of the Canopy
The Dioscorea dodecaneura brings vibrant burgundy and lime-green foliage to the Trellis Garden, adding rich colour and texture to the garden’s tropical canopy.
Flies Beware!
Spot the Aristolochia grandiflora in the Trellis Garden. This tropical vine features pouch-like blooms with trailing long tails. It lures flies by mimicking the scent of decaying meat.