Jardin Botanique d'Eala, Botanical garden in Mbandaka, Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Jardin Botanique d'Eala covers 371 hectares on the left bank of the Ruki River, 7 km east of Mbandaka. Its southern 189 hectares are a wild remnant of the primary forest that once covered the region; the northern part holds the botanical, agronomic and horticultural collections, plus 50 hectares of flooded marsh, 50 hectares periodically flooded and 7 hectares of hyparrhenia grassland.

A Belgian botanist founded the garden at the start of the 20th century to record local plant species and explore their economic potential. The site arose from colonial interest in developing the region's natural resources.

Local tradition says the garden is named after a sergeant of the Force Publique, son of a village chief, who supervised the Congolese workers clearing the site. The garden was first called Bokoto. Léon Pynaert, its first director, laid it out in a landscape style with wide avenues opening toward the Ruki.

The garden lies about 7 km east of Mbandaka, on the left bank of the Ruki just above its confluence with the Congo. Its 371 ha are split between a 189 ha wild forest reserve in the south and the planted collections in the north, with 50 ha of marsh and 7 ha of grass savanna. The terrain is sandy-clay and the equatorial climate averages 25 °C with heavy rainfall, so plan for mud and mosquitoes.

Parts of the garden are devoted to fruit forests where visitors can see how local fruits grow in their natural setting. These collections show practical uses and the variety of species that originate in the region.