In addition to our large Savannah, one of the oldest public recreation grounds in the Caribbean, we are also extremely fortunate to have a more than reputable Botanical Gardens, and a well maintained President's Gardens.
A walk through the grounds of this lovely old building is a not to be missed experience for any serious gardener. The Botanical Gardens and the President's Grounds have roughly 800 different varieties of trees. Some notables include the the "Bootlace Tree (Esperua falcata) with its very unusual looking flowers. It is usually in bloom at Christmas; appropriately.
An up-close and personal look at the flower.
Closer again.
Click here to go to the source of this picture or click on the picture for the link.The existing is quite interesting but a little beyond from a technical point of view. All that I could gather is that Bootlace Tree is a member of the pea family (note the pinnated leaves) and that it seems to be native to the Guyanas (French and English), Suriname and it is certainly present in Trinidad but I suspect it is not indigenous.
Clearly I need to do some investigative work.
The President's House is a lovely example of old Caribbean Georgian Architecture. It was built by the British in the mid 1800s.