The cool breeze and the natural beauty, makes the Aburi garden an ideal location for nature lovers and adventures seeking the cool side of nature.
Aburi garden is famous for its touristic botanical garden which has different species of local and imported trees such as frankincense, cinnamon plant just to mention few.
The shady walkway from the palm trees is very amazing and fun loving. For social gatherings, picnics and hanging out with the family for the best tourist site to suit your cool side of life the Aburi garden is the perfect attraction for nature life.
Location of Aburi Garden
The Aburi Botanical Garden is located in a peaceful and serene township on the hills of Aburi in the Eastern region of Ghana. It is about 45 minutes drive from Accra the capital city of Ghana. It has a very warm and conducive weather climate preferred and loved by all tourists and travelers.
History of the Aburi Garden
The Aburi garden covering an area of about 65 hectares of land was established in March 1890 by the British. The garden is established in the exact site that served as a British sanatorium where medical treatment took place in 1875 for the government officials of the then Gold Coast. The sanatorium later became the spot for vacation for the British colonial masters.
Around the year 1842 in the Great Britain specifically London, the House of Commons made the suggestion of setting up the garden in the on the hills of Aburi.
After several years of the attempt to materialize the recommended garden failing, the garden was finally approved in March 1890. Under the supervision of William Brandford-Griffith who was a Basel missionary from Germany and and Alexander Worthy Clerk also a Jamaican Moravian, supervised the creation of the botany. Later on the same year, Mr. William Crowther from the Royal Botanic Gardens was later delegated as the primary guardian of the garden.
Mr. William Crowther’s fanatic plans brought about development of 6.8 hectares land in 1902. Being a student with specialty in botany, he divided the land into the three (3) groups. These comprised of decorative plants, economic plants and natural plants.
In the year 1967, there was a war in Nigeria between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Eastern part of Nigeria (Biafra) which had declared its independence from Nigeria.
The peace treaty was signed between the two leaders in the premises of Aburi in what is known as Aburi Accord.
The Aburi botanical garden has become one of the most visited attractions by tourists, hikers and adventurers who visit the location for exploring and pleasure.
Tree species
The Aburi garden has different species of plants which can be found in the ten lawns of the botany. Some of the trees and plants were brought from outside the country by former heads of state when they visited the country, hence their naming containing their country of origin or the name of the person who planted. Among the plants include the following;
The Palm Tree
The long stretch of the shady avenue palm tree from the entrance to the car park or the reception is of unique beauty and relieving feeling, is the attraction everybody loves to see.
The Strangler Ficus Tree (The Hollow Tree)
The strangler ficus tree is a tree that grows on a host tree. In the Aburi botanical garden is the strangler ficus tree, over hundred years of age providing shelter and breeding location for bats, birds. The tree was replanted after the host tree died for replacement at the same ground.
Frankincense Tree
The frankincense tree is an aromatic resin in the Aburi botanical garden which is use in making perfumes, incense etc. It is the well-known tree in the bible which was gifted to baby Jesus.
Aside being a good wood for construction, the smoke from the frankincense tree is good for the treatment of convulsion when inhaled and also a good treatment to body odor.
Shea Butter Tree
Another tree in the Aburi botanical garden is the Shea butter tree. From the leaves, stems to the roots all are purposeful. While they are used in edible products, they can also be used on medicinal purposes such as treating stomach ache, bruises, dermatitis, dry-skin and so on.
Brazilian Tree (Brazil Nut)
This is a nut tree from the Amazon rainforest zone but can be found in the Aburi garden. It can grow to a height of 49 metres above sea level. They provide high protein food source and oil can extracted from the nuts for beauty products. The pod that contains the nut can be used as a flower pot for beautification.
Cedar Tree
The cedar tree in the Aburi garden was planted in 1895. It is a very hard and strong plant which is useful in constructional purposes.
Teak Tree
The teak tree is a deciduous plant that can grow about 150 feet high. They are medicinal plant that can be grown on commercial purposes. The leaves boiled are good for the treatment of malaria, anaemia . In Ghana, teak trees are used as light poles to carry electricity.
Nutmeg Tree
In the botany of the Aburi garden is the nutmeg plant. The nutmeg tree is very indigenous to the Asian countries. The nutmeg plant is the main source of spices and flavors for food and drinks.
Silk Cotton Tree
This is one the largest trees in the Aburi garden. The tree has a crown that is shaped like an umbrella that provides shelter and also security. They have flowers that are clustered on small new branches which split soft silky cotton. It was planted by Sir Gordon Guggisberg in 1924. The cotton can be used for pillow, teddy bear and so on.
There are lots of trees and plant species such as the mother tree which stood more than 600 years in the botany which was named after the wife of sir Gordon Guggisburg. There are also plants like mango, mint, bamboo, mimosa plant and so on.
Also read about…..The Most Visited And Best Natural Lake In Ghana
There is also dead tree in the Aburi garden which was among the old trees planted in the garden. The tree is very hard and strong that upon its death, various sculptures has been made on the truncation.
The sculpture works on the tree depicts the rich Ghanaian culture of people coming together to carry their chief. The flamingo pecking something from its back which is a symbol of ‘’Sankofa’’ meaning going back to the past. The tree is named the Tree of life, because it has an art representation of people on it.
Other Attractions in the Aburi Garden
There are other attractions in the garden that visitors would love to see such as the bush house, the Rock Garden, the Lovers’ lane. There is an old helicopter in the middle of the Aburi Botanical Garden. It is an old helicopter that was brought to the garden as side attraction to the garden and also a playground to children.
There is a school in the garden that teaches the practice of garden cultivation and management to students interested in horticulture.
Entry fee
Before entering the gate to the Aburi botanical garden, a person is required to pay a gate fee of 5gh. Other guided activities will be informed from the reception.
Nearby attraction
The Aburi botanical garden is close the Boti Falls
Working hours
The Aburi Botanic gardens is opened from 08:30-17:00 daily with weekend inclusive.
Accommodation
There are lots of peaceful and serene hotels and resorts ranging from budget to luxury on hills of Aburi few minutes from the botanical garden. The Aburi Garden Hotel is an old colonial building in the garden which is now serving as an accommodation to guest.
Watch the video of Aburi garden here:
Conclusion
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