Penang’s Tropical Spice Garden, How It All Began

There are over 500 exotic varieties of plants in the garden from tropical regions around the world. Given their importance, the spice plants look surprisingly insignificant. In earlier times they were vital in preserving foods and in healing the sick. So, in centuries past, European sailors headed east in search of the legendary Spice Islands.

In 1786, Captain Francis Light, a British East India Company trader, took possession of Penang and the Company formed a 53-hectare spice plantation in Ayer Itam valley, near the centre of the island. Pepper was Penang’s first major crop, introduced in 1790 from Indonesia. One of the oldest and most valuable spices, its use as a currency in Roman times gave rise to the term ‘peppercorn rent’.

Three Trails in Penang’s Tropical Spice Garden
Three trails wind through the 3-hectare Spice Garden: Yellow for Spices, Red for Ornamental plants, and Green for Jungle plants, each taking a leisurely 20 minutes. The paths are cool and shaded from the sun, meandering up and down the hillside with seats at intervals to rest and reflect on the garden’s beauty. The air is infused with the pungent scent of crushed spices: nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves. Hidden amidst foliage of myriad shades of green, waterfalls trickle down the hill. Overhead is the koel bird’s incessant call.