Castleton Botanical Gardens, located in St. Mary, Jamaica, lies along the Kingston to St. Mary main road. Established on November 19, 1862, the garden was created as a replacement for the Bath site in St. Thomas. Over time, Castleton Gardens became one of the most famous botanical gardens in the hemisphere, known for its wide variety of plants.
In its early years, the garden featured over 4,000 species of plants from the renowned Kew Gardens in England. By 1897, it housed 180 species of palms in its Palmetum, with many plants introduced to Jamaica during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including the Poinciana, Bombay Mango, Spathodea, Navel Orange, and tangerine.
Today, Castleton Gardens still showcases rare plants such as Strychnos (from which the poison strychnine is derived), Velvet Apple, West Indian Mahogany, and coffee.
Nestled in the cool hills of St. Mary, the garden is a peaceful haven for nature lovers. The nearby Wag Water Riveroffers a refreshing swim, and the scenic …
