Nutmeg Tree

This is an evergreen monopodial tree, with the sexes separated on different trees (dioecious).

This Heritage Tree is a female tree as it was observed to have fruited. Its flowers are pollinated by beetles.

A native of the Moluccas, the Nutmeg tree is the source of the nutmeg spice. Nutmeg was a major spice crop in Singapore in the 1840s before disease destroyed plantations in the 1860s.

In the 1800s, the area around present-day Orchard Road was occupied by nutmeg, pepper and fruit orchards, which gave rise to the road’s name.

Unique ID for Heritage Tree

HT 2015-272

Location

Singapore Botanic Gardens, (LXA), near Cluny Park Road.

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Heritage Tree Information

Scientific name: Myristica fragrans
Common name: Nutmeg Tree
Girth: 1.15 m @ 0.7 m height
Height: 13.2 m