Fun really does grow on trees! And bushes, shrubs, cacti and every kind of plant you can think of at St. George Village Botanical Garden, a lush oasis located in Frederiksted on the island of St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands. ​

A garden springs back to life

Like many Caribbean islands, St. Croix suffered storm damage from Hurricane Maria in 2017, and St. George Village Botanical Garden took a significant hit. But today the majesty of Mother Nature is on full display at the garden as the flora has fully recovered. The garden's visitor's center was completely ravaged but a brand new one has been built, so if you didn't know any different you would never know the property was in disarray just a few years ago.

Take a guided tour

Whether you are a budding botanist (pun intended!) or just want to stroll through a beautiful garden, you'll find a tour of St. George Village Botanical Garden relaxing and informative. Tour guides will tell you about how the garden sits on the site of a former sugar plantation, built by the Danish in the 19th century, and point out the remnants of buildings and equipment used to process sugar. You'll learn surprising facts too, like how molasses was used in the construction of some of the buildings, as a binding agent in concrete. Tour guides are well versed not only in all the plants, but in the island's history (pirates!) and cultural heritage, and they welcome questions. And in all likelihood you'll be joined on your tour by one of the garden's four-legged residents; a cat that loves to tag along with tour groups.

I know that plant! It's a, uh ...

You may very well recognize some of the plants that make their home in the garden. The cotton plant, here grown as a tree that's resplendent with cotton bolls, is certainly an easy plant to name. And it's easy to see how the cannonball tree, with big, cannonball-size fruits, got its name. Same with the sausage tree, where lots of "sausages" can be seen hanging from the tree and littering the surrounding area.There are trumpet trees and Christmas palms, Devil's backbone and soursop. Orchids galore brighten the path, and you'll find bromeliads, a cashew tree, climbing oleander, an East Indies almond tree, castor bean plants and an impressive draping of Spanish moss. There's also a sizable cactus and succulent garden. While local flora is highlighted, the garden has plants from beyond St. Croix's shores too. All told, there are over 1500 species and varieties.

A few details

If you arrive in St. Croix by cruise ship, you can book a shore excursion to St. George Village Botanical Garden aboard your ship. Otherwise you can hire a driver to take you there. The garden is open 9 am to 5 pm everyday except Christmas. Plan on staying for a couple of hours so you have enough time to thoroughly enjoy the garden and gift shop.​

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