There are descriptions of the plants, but I think they are all in Spanish (in the main entrance there are signs in a bunch of languages). Every plant native to the island is grown there, including the Cacheo palm which in the entire world naturally grows in a very small area of the Bahoruco mountains only. That's truly a Dominican tree. Obviously, most nstive plant species to the DR are also native species of Haiti, minus a few like the Cacheo palm which grows naturally in the DR only.
There is a trolley service (same in the national zoo), though despite large it can be walked.
Some of the things not so easily known about the botanical gardens are:
- When Balaguer inaugurated it in the 1970's it was the largest botanical gardens in Latin America. It could still be, but in any case it's one of the largest in the region and the largest in the Caribbean.
- Next to the parking lot is a floral clock that when it was inaugurated with the gardens it was the largest in the world. Bigger ones have been buikt elsewhere, but I think there is nothing as big in the rest of the Caribbean.
- It has one of the most complete butterfly exhibit with all or most of the butterflies of Hispaniola.
- It also has one of the most complete orchids exhibit. This may or may not be open when the botanical gardens is open.
- The Japanese Garden is the largest and most meticulous in the Caribbean. It was a gift from the Japanese-Dominican community headed by Mamoru Matsunaga (there is a plaque of him on a rock, he introduced Judo to the DR and is considered to be the father of that Japnese sport in the DR). This is a major photo op place and you will see why. It also has a bamboo forest within the Japanese Gardens that includes a "bamboo tunnel" (live bamboo plants creating a sort of tunnel anyone can walk through). The entrace to the Japanese Garden has an authentic Japanese gate, brough directly from Japan, and is the largest of its kind in the country. There is another smaller one in Jarabacoa.
There are other stuff. Truly a gem. You'll forget you are in the middle of a city while in there. In the early morning and again in the late afternoon many people go there to excercise walk, jog, etc.
