KEPONG BOTANICAL GARDEN - An Introduction

An Introduction

Kepong Botanical Garden (KBG) is part of  FRIM ( Forest Research Institute Malaysia) which is located to the North-West of Kuala Lumpur.  KBG is at the South-west corner of FRIM and is linked to FRIM’s administrative area by two dirt tracks and a paved road via KBG’s nursery (which is not accessible to the public).

Lagestroemia Speciosa (Rose of India)  just after the entrance to the Garden

KBG site used to be a nondescript former tin mine with overgrown belukar (secondary forest), Acacia trees and abandoned ponds before year 2000.  There used to be a broken chain link perimeter fence demarcating FRIM’s land from Taman Ehsan residential area.

Earlier, during colonial times, the area was a tin mine and farm land.  Chinese settlers used to rear pigs and grow vegetables on the hill slopes surrounding the present ponds before they were herded into new villages (the British's euphemism for concentration camp), by the British colonialist as part of they strategic plan to contain the anti colonial forces.

KBG Started at the turn of the Millennium

Work on Kepong Botanical Garden started at the turn of the last Millennium with the launch of the Millennium Park and official establishment of the Garden.  

The Millennium Park located at the West end of KBG encompasses a hill slope and a flat area adjacent to the big pond. The Park, sponsored by Hong Leong Bank consists of trees on a hill slope, timber pergolas with flowering climbers and pond side area grown with shrubs and flowering plants.

Reflection of the pine hill in the Lake. 

Vision of KBG


The then Director in charge, Dr Saw Leng Guan, had a vision of making KBG into a world class botanical garden with collections of rare tropical plants.  However, progress towards his vision is painstakingly slow. Perhaps, the vision has been blurred due to the frequent change of director in charge of the Garden.

Nevertheless, KBG is slowly taking shape. To date much of the work done are putting in place infrastructures such as paved roads, culverts, rest pavilions, pergolas and toilets.  Apart from the themed enclaves such as the Herb Garden, the Ginger Garden and the Millennium Park, a recent addition is a 400m long concrete path named “Razak Walk” in a forested area.  

Many trees, palms, shrubs and flowering plants have been planted over the years, but unfortunately the plants are not labelled ! Thus, visitors who harbour hope of gaining some botanical knowledge from this Garden will be disappointed!  It is a far cry from the well planned and managed Singapore Botanical Garden where the plants and flowers are properly labelled.  Selected rare plants have their characteristics and history displayed prominently.

Visitors come to savour the superb ambiance 

The selling points of  KBG are its cool fresh air and its serene green environment.  The forest surrounding KBG is part of Bukit Lagong’s forest reserve which stretches to Templer Park (Kanching forest reserve) and Titiwangsa range beyond. The paved walking path in the Garden proper and the hill tracks further uphill attract lots of walkers, hikers and mountain bikers in the morning and evening. The paved road circling KBG is about 2.5km long. 

The spring like invigorating cool air coupled with the melodious chirpings of birds at the break of dawn is the best time to savour the superb ambiance of the Garden. 

Visitors go into KBG as early as 5 am.  By 7am, groups of people can be seen doing their exercises in various parts of the Garden. The crowd thins out as the sun rises higher.  However, the crowd will start returning by about 4pm in the evening and will only disperse after the sun sets. KBG has become a haven for walkers and joggers because of the fresh cool air and safe environment.  

For the less sport inclined, the Garden is also an excellent place to relax, admire the flora or just sit and soak in the ambiance.  Apart from attracting people, the increasing density of vegetation has also attracted lots of birds, insects, small animals such as squirrels, civet cats and monkeys to the Garden.  And there are also lots of fish, turtles and tortoises in the big pond.

Mist shrouded Lagong hills surrounding the Lake.
The tips of Eugenia Oleana in the foreground

The hills surrounding KBG is often shrouded in mist in the morning, after an overnight rain.  Quite often dashes of mists can be seen nestled in the folds of the hills after a downpour.

Stay tune  for more on KBG; the plants and flowers, the feathered friends, off beaten tracks and more.