The Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park
Recently, I was lucky enough to visit The Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park. This is situated in the East of Grand Cayman, an island to the West of the Caribbean. Grand Cayman is part of the British West Indies and better known for its diving.
The Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park is a relatively small botanical garden but packs a punch especially if you catch the Orchid festival. The national flower of Cayman Islands is the wild Banana Orchid, Myrmecophila thomsoniana, seen in the video.
Get a real feel for this garden in my video…
Big leafed, exotic, towering palms have provided the inspiration for our garden at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show (2026). The Phyllanthus angustifolius, which is native to the Western Caribbean area, really reminded me of the Podocarpus salignus and the Laurus nobilis ‘Angustifolia’ (Narrow Leafed Bay) that we grow here in Pulborough.
As a comparison to other botanical gardens this won’t blow you away but it’s definitely worth visiting if on the island. It’s a great place for children, with a play park tower that all can climb and blue Iguanas to spot.
You know me, I always find an opportunity to plant hunt and add to our collection; but you don’t need to book a trip to the Caribbean to be inspired. You can discover a mass of exciting tropical plants for your garden when you book a visit to our nursery or browse our online plant catalogue.
