Bellevue’s Ginger Garden & Panorama Terraces @ Penang Hill
Open from 9am to 7pm, or by appointment
Specialist guides available at reasonable fees
Contact Hotel Bellevue, +604-8299500
The Plant Collections include native and exotic Trees, Palms, and the eight families of Zingiberales: Cannaceae, Costaceae, Heliconiaceae, Lowiaceae, Marantaceae, Musaceae, Strelitziaceae & Zingiberaceae …and also other flora, including Orchids and Pitcher Plants.
The Bellevue’s Ginger Garden is an eco-tourist destination on Penang Hill, evolving from the Bellevue Aviary Gardens which was established in 1980. It will feature a large collection of Old and New World plants from all the eight families of the botanical order of Zingiberales, namely Cannaceae (the Canna family), Costaceae (the Costus family), Heliconiaceae (the Heliconia family), Lowiaceae (the Orchidantha family), Marantaceae (the Prayer plant family), Musaceae (the Banana family), Strelitziaceae (the Bird of Paradise family), and Zingiberaceae (the Ginger family).
Apart from its horticultural interest to visitors, the Gardens are a part of an important educational and conservation endeavour by the Folia malaysiana Botanical Research project, which is based at Suriana Gardens in Balik Pulau, which also supports and contributes to an orang asli development programme for the Temiar, called AdanA. In reality the plant collections of the gardens, although small in area, includes many other botanical orders and families such as Arecaceae (palms), Orchidaceae (orchids) and many others, and includes rare and endangered species from Malaysia. Also featured are many endemic species of Malaysia and the hyper-endemic palms and gingers of Penang Hill, also trees such as Dacrydium elatum, Maingaya malayana, Pangium edule and Dillenia philippinensis.
The entry charges help to defray the botanical research project and also AdanA. A guidebook (being compiled) for the Zingiberales Gardens will illustrate the wide range of plants to be seen at Bellevue, and it is hoped to arrange for guided tours of the significant collections, such as the Malaysian native gingers, costus, orchidanthas and marantas – and also the native orchids species, and palms such as the Areca tunku, Iguanura wallichiana and Pinanga malaiana.
Within the geodesic dome shade house of the main garden, there are collections of relatively rare plants – including several new species, some only named recently (as featured and published in the journal Folia malaysiana). Because of the extensive field research by the Folia malaysiana project, it is believed that the ex situ plant collections include more rare native species than are to be found in many a botanical garden within Malaysia or elsewhere. There are more gardens of decorative plants such the Heliconias and Calatheas within the hotel grounds, especially on the east terraces which enjoy superb panoramic views of the city, open to hotel and restaurant guests.
Suriana Botanic Conservation Gardens, Balik Pulau, Penang, Malaysia
Open by appointment and contribution to serious botanical visitors
To contact: +604-227 4006
Suriana Botanic Conservation Gardens (SBCG) at Balik Pulau, Penang is dedicated to plant research and conservation of rare or endangered native flora, with a special interest in Arecaceae and Zingiberales. It supports the work of Folia malaysiana in publication and conserves the plants collected under the botanical research programmes. The garden offers facilities and ex-situ propagated plant materials for students and collaborators by MOU’s with other research institutes and botanical establishments.
The site of Suriana Botanic Conservation Gardens (SBCG) is around 10.9 acres and divided into four zones:
1. Visitor garden;
2. Research area;
3. Eco-estate Arboretum;
4. AdanA Project Asli at recreational forest.
In Zone (1), together with the outdoor mixed planting, there are three geodesic domes and a pergola for relatively rarer native plants. Zone (2) is mainly used as a nursery ground for living collections with special research interest. An arboretum for trees at the Waterealm is conserved with minimal disturbance in Zone (3). Aside from the main functions of SBCG on research, conservation, education and recreation, Suriana also supports the AdanA project by providing land for an authentic Orang Asli village in Zone (4).
The collections of rare and endangered Malaysian (and other) flora at the gardens are part of an ex situ conservation programme of the Folia malaysiana Research & Conservation project of Suriana Botanic Conservation Garden
