In a few weeks, it will be six years since Category 5 Hurricane Maria dealt Dominica a catastrophic ‘body blow’ on the night of Monday 18th September 2017. The impacts are still fresh on the minds of most of us. Among other impacts, Maria claimed several human lives in multiple communities; badly damaged the island’s infrastructure and housing stock; triggered 9,960 landslides; and negatively impacted our Waitukubuli National Trail and all of our tourist sites. One such site was Dominica’s Botanic Gardens which, at one time, boasted of being the leading botanic gardens in this part of the hemisphere.
Two days after ‘Maria’ struck, a young man named Kenny, after navigating through the tangled mess of toppled trees, broken tree limbs and branches, and ‘foreign’ objects such as twisted sheets of galvanized roofing materials, etc. that Maria had left at the Gardens, summed up the state of this popular tourist and recreational site in seven words as follows: “Man, you must see Gardens. Gardens finish!”
According to a post-Maria assessment exercise conducted by this author and David Williams, two retired Forestry Officers, it was reported in 2018 that Maria had destroyed 169 ornamental forest trees in the Gardens and left the survivors with either limbs or branches broken off, leafless (defoliated), or a few leaning against standing, damaged trees.
Here we look at some of ‘Maria’s survivors’ from the Garden’s collection of exotic and local forest trees. The route takes us from the Gardens’ South-Western or Bath Road Gate, up past the Elmshall Gate, and ending above the concrete platform.
On 16th June 2023, two junior members of staff of the Forestry, Wildlife & Parks Division and the author measured the girths (circumference) of the trees which will be presented below. Measurements were taken mostly at or near breast-height (1.3m or 4ft 3in) and we also took some notes on several of the trees.
The equipment used to measure the trees comprised a 100ft linear measuring tape and a 4’ 3” breast-height stick.
- ELEPHANT APPLE (Dillenia indica):This is one of the trees at the Gardens which are extremely popular with tourists, on account of its heavy, round fruit whose colour varies from green to greenish-yellow when ripe. The tree, located near the Bath Road Gate produces a relatively small number of large white, fragrant flowers. This tree is native to forest river banks across tropical Asia to South-East Asia, and is an important source of food for elephants and other animals like monkeys and deer in North-Eastern India.
The lone specimen at the Gardens measured 7.2ft in girth.
- SAUSAGE TREE (Kigelia africana):The Sausage Tree is also one of the most popular trees in the Gardens with tourists, and the lone specimen is located very near the edge of the road and the Elephant Apple tree. The regularly photographed long, heavy, light brown, hanging fruits resemble yams, more than sausages, and young boys from Bath Road residing near the Gardens many years ago called the tree “Yanm Ma Mila” (translated to ‘Mrs. Miller’s yam’ from our Kwéyòl) because of the fruits.
That tree is branched from just about 2.8ft above the ground, and on the day of observation had scores of fruits which were nearing maturity.
WEST INDIAN ROYAL PALM (Roystonea oleracea):Maria uprooted a few West Indian Royal Palms from the Gardens’ collection, but left 19 standing, including 16 mature palms which now have their full crown. The specimen near the ruins of the Produce Chemist Laboratory measured 7ft girth, and another to the west of the public washrooms is 2 inches larger. Currently the Royal Palms are the largest single-stemmed palms at the Gardens, but the stem of the Talipot Palm a.k.a. ‘Century Palm’ – which can also be found at the Gardens can grow to be much larger than the Royal Palms.
- BANYAN TREE(Ficus benghalensis):The tree with the largest crown (top) at the Botanic Gardens, the Banyan Tree is also very popular with tourists who enjoy ‘playing Tarzan’ by swinging from the aerial roots which grow down from the tree’s limbs. That tree has a very complex stem which is made up of the original stem, but which expanded as more and more aerial roots near the main stem reached the ground.
There is only a single specimen of Banyan Tree at the Gardens, and its crown measured about 150 ft wide (diameter); the distance around the aerial roots that are rooted in the soil was about 87ft.
- AFRICAN BAOBAB (Adansonia digitata): The lone specimen of African Baobab at the Gardens is one of the most popular trees with tourists visiting the site. Locals refer to that Baobab as “the tree that’s crushing the school bus”, and that tree has been that way since the passing of Hurricane David on 29th August 1979. The remnants of the tree’s original stem (now 34ft long), which is crushing the school bus, measures 17.7ft in girth at about 12.5ft from the original root-base. The larger of the two stems which grew up vertically from buds on the original stem after ‘David’ is much larger than the original stem and now measures 22.8ft girth.
The tree regularly produces long, pendant white flowers, but no fruit.
Continues soon…
Survived the hurricane but mysteriously disappeared NEVER to return.I wonder where Anne Winn live?
i bet is one or 2 brazilian rose that end up blooming. Why not plant a significant patch. to have a proper effect. Everything in Dominica is always hap hazzard and mediocre these days.
Thank you for featuring the specimens still thriving in our Botanical Garden. I hope this serves as encouragement to restore and enhance what was once an impressive tourism site and place of pride for all Dominicans. It is sad to see the damage that it has endured, including the loss our unique exotic parrots, which survived the hurricane but mysteriously disappeared never to be returned. It Is also disheartening to see how little has been done in the past 6 years to improve its condition, especially since it is in our capital and easily accessible from the cruise ship births. I have heard disturbing rumours that there is an intention to turn this site into a golf course. This can’t be true. First it is too small for a full 18 hole course. Second, it is not in a good location considering the number of stray balls that would wind up as projectiles on the city street. Third it requires the removal of all or most of the existing and impressive specimens. If true, we must say no to this.
Thank you Anne for highlighting those issues.
I would add, the gardens should not function as a rat-run for traffic.
I believe they had envisioned a 9 hold minigolf course. non the less not suitable in my opinion. they should do that at the old Dominica Club location. but yes it is quite a damn shame that they have done mostly nothing except construct a raised concrete road with sharp edges and no side walk. No lighing, no safety cameras, no lighting or increased seating. All nonsense. If you all want to see what a proper botanical garden should look like just google the Miracle Garden in Dubai. Granted i know we will never do anything on that level or even level of expertise, it is something to work towards, or at least provide some doable ideas and break out of the Dominican norm.