Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Botanical Garden, Botanical garden in Pamplemousses, Mauritius.

Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Botanical Garden covers about 37 hectares at Pamplemousses, seven miles northeast of Port Louis. Its avenues carry the names of naturalists such as La Bourdonnais, Poivre, Céré and Commerson, and lead to a long pond of Victoria amazonica lilies. The garden holds 85 palm varieties and a talipot palm that flowers once after forty to sixty years, then dies.

The site began in 1735 when Mahé de La Bourdonnais created a vegetable garden at Mon Plaisir to supply Port Louis and passing ships. Pierre Poivre bought the estate in 1770 and turned it into an acclimatisation garden for nutmeg, clove and other plants. Nicolas Céré later expanded the collections, and in 1849 James Duncan restored the neglected grounds and introduced many palms.

The garden is named after Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, Mauritius's first Prime Minister after independence, honoring his role in the nation's history. Locals and visitors alike recognize this naming as a tribute to the country's democratic journey.

The garden lies about seven miles northeast of Port Louis in Pamplemousses village. Enter through the white wrought-iron gate donated by François Liénard de la Mivoye and set up in 1868; the main gate opens onto Avenue de La Bourdonnais, which leads straight to the water-lily pond and crosses the Poivre, Céré, Commerson and Cossigny avenues. Paths are named after naturalists, so follow the avenue names to orient yourself. Expect uneven ground and tropical heat; carry water and wear sturdy shoes.

The garden's long pond is planted with Victoria amazonica, a giant water lily whose flowers open white and turn pink as they age. The species was named after Queen Victoria. The pond is the first sight reached from the main gate along Avenue de La Bourdonnais.