The Ho Chi Minh City government has asked the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and other relevant agencies to expand the existing botanical garden in its Cu Chi district.
The expansion of the botanical garden will provide the necessary space to preserve rare plants of the country that are threatened with extinction. The garden presently covers 100 hectares in Nhuan Duc Commune, having approximately 400 species of plants. Once expanded, the garden will cover an area of 140 hectares.
City government has also asked the Department of Forestry to speed up construction at the botanical garden.
The city administrators have given the go ahead to investors to proliferate the Sao and Dau trees (fragrant hopea and dipterocarp) and covert the garden into a jungle. The same can also be applied to the Eucalyptus, Acacia auriculiformis and Acacia mangium trees.
The Department of Forestry must preserve rare trees like Dalbergia oliveri, Fragrant Hopea, Dipterocarp, Afzelia xylocarpa, Calophyllum inophyllum, Anthocephalus chinensis and Acacia auriculiformis. Planting must be complete by 2013 when the garden will be converted into a full jungle.
