CASTLETON BOTANICAL GARDENS, ST ANDREW, JAMAICA

CASTLETON BOTANICAL GARDENS, ST ANDREW, JAMAICA

The actual establishment of Castleton Garden under the direction of Nathaniel Wilson*(a) followed closely upon the selection of the site in 1860-62, and the development of this wonderful collection of exotic plants, mainly trees, from all parts of the Tropics, has since progressed steadily.

Emtrance to Castleton Gardens, Cir 1920's, from a postcard - Collection Historic Jamaica

No description or series of photographs can do justice to Castleton; it is a place which must be seen to be put at its proper value. The ground is somewhat broken, the declivities such as readily to permit the natural grouping and arrangement of plants according to their affinities or special requirements or habitat ; and so completely is the planting in harmony with the terrain and with the beautiful surroundings that there is no suggestion of a heterogeneous assemblage of exotics brought to exhibition from the four corners of the world. Nevertheless, in these 30 acres more kinds of East Indian trees have been introduced and grown to maturity than in any other American garden.

Of the more interesting trees aside from the palms may be mentioned the Brazil nut, of the Amazon region, its hard globular fruit shells 5 or 6 inches thick, each containing about 20 nuts fitted mosaic-like within ; the so-called “cannon-ball” tree of the tropical America (Couroupita guianensis), related to the Brazil nut ; various rubber-producing trees of the genera Hevea and Castilla; the litchi nut, previously mentioned ; the cinnamon tree (Cinnamomum zeylanicum), native in Ceylon ; the camphor tree (Cinnamomum camphora), or eastern Asia, one of the sources of commercial camphor ; the Chile pine or “monkey puzzle” (Araucaria imbricata), from the mountains of southern Chile; the kola nut tree (Cola acuminata), or western tropical Africa, the nuts well known from their stimulant and nutritive properties; the close (Eugenia caryophyllata), of the East Indies; the native manchineel, a peculiar euphorbiaceous tree (Hippomane mancinella), celebrated for its poisonous fruit and juice; the traveler’s tree (Ravenala madagascariensis), related to the common banana ; and the nutmeg (Myristica fragrans), of tropical Asia.

The most strikingly beautiful tree of all is the Amherstia (A. nobilis), previously mentioned. A fine specimen of this stands just within the entrance to the garden, its pendent racemes of huge vermilion flowers a fitting augury of the many beauties of the garden. Not far above are pools containing numerous water lilies (Castalia spp.) and, finest of all, the remarkable Victoria regia, of the Amazon region, continuously in cultivation here since 1870.

The development of Castle Garden over a period of 60 years has progressed steadily, notwithstanding the attention given to two other main enterprises, namely the establishment of the botanical station in the mountains (the so-call Hill Gardens, at Cinchona) and the development of a garden at Hope, in the dry lowlands, where extensive experimental work on economic plants is carried on to better advantage than is feasible at Castleton. The importation of plants for Castleton was at first not rapid ; but after a few years it was determined that the distance of the garden from Kingston offered no serious obstacle to its development, and in 1869 no less than 400 species of plants, either new to the island or otherwise interesting or valuable, were introduced from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, then under the direction of the late Sir Joseph Hooker. Among these were the Brazilian nut (Bertholletia excelsa), teak (Tectona grandis) – one of the hardest and most durable of all shipbuilding woods – the Tonquin bean (Dipteryx odorata), additional plants of the mangosteen, several varieties of cacao, the ceriman (Monstera deliciosa), and over 30 species of exotic palms.

 

Showing the Pond, Private Collection

To the botanist no less than the casual visitor the single feature of greatest moment will be the wonderful collection of palms, to the number of nearly 200 species, grouped or scattered over the gentle slopes. Some of these deserve special mention, as the betel nut (Areca catechu), the ivory nut palms (Phytelphas spp.), the Malayan sugar palm (Arenga saccharifera), the tucum palm of Brazil (Astrocaryum vulgare), the cahune of Central America (Attalea cohune), the wine palm of Ceylon and India (Carota urens), the wax palm of Brazil (Copernicia cerifera), the African oil palm (Elaeis guineensis), a huge fan palm from Australia (Livistona australia), the Cuban royal palm (Roystonea regia), the raphia palm (Raffia ruffia), several allies of the coconut palm (Cocos spp.), and the palmetto (Sabal palmetto) of our own Southern States, concerning each of which interesting chapters, if not books, might be written.

Different varieties of palms, Collection Historic Jamaica

In the same year two lots of grafted mangoes were received from India. In 1870 upward of 200 additional species new to Jamaica were introduced, and in addition selected varieties of oranges, pineapples, grafted mangoes, and other fruits. The nutmeg trees, introduced earlier, had already come into bearing. At this time, as in later years, the objects sought, through primarily economic, were recognized as being closely dependent upon precise knowledge to be obtained from an adequate botanical establishment, and to this broad view is due very largely the enviable agricultural and horticultural success subsequently attained.

Castleton Gardens, which is ideally suited to its purpose, may be described briefly as an exceedingly humid interior valley of about 30 acres at low elevation (about 580 feet above sea level), closely shut in upon three sides by steep hills. It has an annual rainfall of 120 inches and an annual mean temperature of 76 ̊. Across the island at this point runs a good road, leading from Annatto Bay on the north coast to Kingston on the south. Approaching from either direction the drive is through a most beautiful and picturesque country, much of it under cultivation.

From “The Annual Report, Smithsonian Institution – 1920”, Historic Jamaica Collection

*(a) Nathanial Wilson who had been in the Kew Gardens (London, England) for several year, was appointed Island botanist and curator of the Bath Garden. Under his capable management a very large number of additional plants were imported. He gave special attention to the formation of an extensive collection of fiber-producing plants, the cultivation of which he foresaw as promising a wonderful future to Jamaica, but secured also such introductions as the mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana), durian (Durio zibethinus), and litchi, these easily ranking to-day as among the most delicious of all tropical fruits. The introduction of the high-climbing Brazilian Bougainvillea, conspicuous for its great clusters of crimson-bracted flowers and the flamboyant (Delonix regia), of Madagascar, also dates from his incumbrency, besides that of many less known but conspicuous trees and shrubs.

NOTE **G.S. Jenman, Esq., formerly of Kew Gardens, was the Superintendent of Castleton Garden in 1879. Well known as a ‘good botanist’ he is accredited with the addition of some 50 new varieties to the Ferns already known to exist in the island, a list of which is published as a supplement to “Grisebach’s Flora of the West Indies,” the best Standard work on Tropical vegetation. (James Gall’s Who’s Who and What’s What in Jamaica for 1879-80)
 
From “Stark’s Illustrated – 1896”

 

Guest Cottages at Castleton Cir. 1900, from a postcard, Collection Historic Jamaica

The Government has leased to the Boston Fruit Company, at a nominal price, eighteen acres of the gardens, on which they have erected a group of small cottages, and a dining-hall for the entertainment of visitors. Before the Port Antonio branch of the railroad was built, this was the most direct road between Kingston and Port Antonio. Castleton was used as a stopping-place by travelers between these places. It was, therefore, found necessary by the Boston Fruit Company to erect a place for their entertainment, as they were the parties chiefly interested in the travel this way. Since the opening of the railroad the place is but little needed ; it has gone the way of the roadside inn of olden time.

From “Buckra” Land – 1897

We arrived at Castleton, where is located the Government Botanical Garden in the midst of the mountains, and at a high altitude. We had now accomplished about half of our journey. We regretted that our slow progress would limit our stop at Castleton to a few minutes only. My wife was anxious to secure some ferns there to take back to America, and we feared we should have to go on without them, as an attaché of the garden whom we met on the road said the gates were locked for the night.

Couple strolling at Castleton Gardens Cir 1902, Collection Historic Jamaica

But in a few minutes we met another gentleman who kindly offered to unlock the gates when we told him what we wanted and how we had been delayed. So we left the carriage while the driver was watering the horses, and entered the garden. What wonders of plant life! What a wealth of wonders of tropical vegetation, trees, shrubs and flowers, all systematically and scientifically labeled. We went to the fern enclosures, where we found hundreds of the most beautiful ferns of which Jamaica is so famous, among them being the gold and silver ferns, the under- side of the leaves being covered with a sort of pollen which looks like a sprinkling of those metals. With difficulty we selected several from the tempting array, as we could not carry them all, and bidding our kind host of the past few minutes      goodbye, we again started on the second half of our journey.


Historic Jamaica