Lankester Botanical Garden

The Lankester Botanical Gardens (also known as the Jardín Botánico Lankester or Charles H. Lankester Botanical Garden) are a set of gardens outside of Cartago, Costa Rica. The garden is open to the public, but is operated by the University of Costa Rica (UCR) as a research center and is a major center for orchid research in both Central America and the Caribbean.

Rows of orchids inside a research greenhouse

History

After some previous times in Costa Rica from 1900 onwards, Charles H. Lankester moved from England to Costa Rica in 1910, and around the same time began collecting orchids. Collecting samples, he sent them to orchidologists at Kew Gardens for identification.[1] In 1924, he bought a coffee farm, known as Las Cóncavas from Francisco Quesada near Cargago, Costa Rica. On the farm was a large lagoon which attracted migratory birds. Near the lagoon, Lankester created an area which he called El Silvestre (uncultivated), which was reserved for orchids and other tropical plants. In 1955, he sold the rest of the farm, retaining only El Silvestre.[2] When Lankester died in 1969,[1] his daughter Dorothy inherited the property.[2] In 1973, Dorothy sold the farm to the University of Costa Rica on the condition that it would be retained as a botanical garden.[3] At the instigation of Rafael Lucas Rodríguez, the funds to secure the purchase were raised by donations from the Costa Rican Orchid Society, the American Orchid Society and the Stanley Smith Horticultural Trust.[2] In 1979, Dora Emilia Mora de Retana was named first director of the garden. Mora worked to preserve the botanical garden and promote it as a research facility.[3] Under her direction, UCR developed a course on orchidology in 1984 and the garden slowly grew to become an important center for study in the Caribbean and Central America.[4]

Exterior of Lankester Botanical Gardens

Today

The mission statement of Lankester Garden is to "promote conservation, enjoyment and sustainable use of the epiphytic flora through scientific research, horticulture, and environmental education."

The garden sits on 11 hectares (27.2 acres) and is home to over 3000 species of plants, principally epiphytes, including orchids and bromeliads.

In 2003 the garden was redesignated by UCR as an experiment station to emphasize its dedication to scientific research. Two years later, the Environmental Ministry designated the garden "National Center for the Conservation of Flora" and "National Epiphyte Sanctuary".[5]

References

Citations
  1. Ossenbach 2014, p. 362.
  2. Ossenbach 2006, p. 268.
  3. Ossenbach 2006, p. 270.
  4. Ossenbach 2014, pp. 371-372.
  5. Ossenbach 2014, pp. 372-373.

Bibliography
  • Ossenbach, Carlos (January 2014). "Charles H. Lankester (1879-1969): His Life and Legacy" (PDF). Lankesteriana. San Pedro Montes de Oca, Costa Rica: University of Costa Rica. 13 (3): 359–374. ISSN 1409-3871. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 January 2015. Retrieved 16 September 2017.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Ossenbach, Carlos (April 2006). "Orchids in Costa Rica Part IV: The Charles H. Lankester Botanical Garden" (PDF). Orchids Magazine. West Palm Beach, Florida: The American Orchid Society. 75 (4): 268–275. ISSN 1087-1950. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 September 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2017.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)

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