Limbe Botanical Gardens

Limbe Botanical Gardens is a research institution and botanical garden situated on the coast of Cameroon, spanning large grounds between Mount Cameroon and the ocean. The site holds a significant collection of plant species from tropical and temperate regions arranged across different sections.

The gardens were established in 1892 by German horticulturists to research and cultivate tropical crops such as rubber, coffee, cocoa, and bananas. The site became an important center for agricultural experimentation in the region.

The gardens maintain a herbarium of 30,000 specimens, serving as an educational center for agriculture, horticulture, and forestry training for Cameroonian students.

The grounds can be explored on foot using pathways that lead through different areas of the gardens and bring visitors through varying vegetation zones. Sturdy footwear is advisable as the terrain can be uneven and the moisture from the coastal climate can make surfaces slippery.

The grounds hold a cemetery with memorials for Commonwealth soldiers from both World Wars, a quiet testament to military history within a place otherwise devoted to cultivation and research. This burial site forms a solemn counterpoint to the living botanical collections surrounding it.