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Montoso Gardens
Red Ginger.jpg
Alpinia purpurata plant in the Montoso Garden.
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Type Botanical Garden
Location Maricao, Puerto Rico
Area 36 hectares (89 acres)
Created 1987

Montoso Gardens is a special place in Maricao, Puerto Rico where many different plants are grown. It's like a big farm and a plant nursery all in one! This amazing spot is also a private botanical garden and a nature reserve. It covers about 36 hectares (that's about 89 acres) of land. Montoso Gardens is known around the world by its special code, MGMPR, which stands for its role as a botanical institution.

Where to Find Montoso Gardens

This beautiful botanical garden is located on the side of Pico Montoso mountain. It sits high up, about 457 meters (1,500 feet) above sea level. This area is known for growing coffee in Maricao.

Montoso Gardens is right next to the Maricao State Forest. This forest is huge, covering about 5,000 acres! It's home to many unique plants. In fact, 23 plant species found here are endemic to Puerto Rico. This means they grow naturally only in Puerto Rico.

You can visit Montoso Gardens! They ask for a small donation to help keep the gardens beautiful and well-maintained.

The History of Montoso Gardens

The story of Montoso Gardens began with its previous owner, Dr. Frank Martin. He was a horticulturist, which means he was an expert in growing plants. Dr. Martin started the first collection of plants and trees here.

The current owners took over in 1987. Since then, they have continued to add many more plant species. They keep growing the collection even today!

Amazing Plant Collections

Montoso Gardens is a fantastic place to see all kinds of tropical plants. They grow in a very rich and diverse way here. One of the main goals at Montoso Gardens is to protect different types of tropical plants. This helps make sure these plants don't disappear.

Right now, there are over 1,800 different kinds of plants in their collections. These include many different species and special cultivars (plants grown for specific traits). More than 600 different plant groups, called taxa, are grown here.

Some of the cool plants you can find include:

  • Endemic species: These are plants that are native only to this area.
  • Fruit trees: You might see trees like Litchi chinensis (lychee), Canarium ovatum (pili nut), and Garcinia mangostana (mangosteen).
  • Ornamental plants: These are plants grown for their beauty, like colorful flowers or interesting leaves.
  • Spices: They also grow plants used for spices, such as Piper nigrum (black pepper), Durio zibethinus (durian), and Cinnamomum zeylanicum (cinnamon).

See also

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Montoso Gardens Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.