Park · Honiara

Honiara Botanical Gardens

AT A GLANCE

Why go?

Honiara Botanical Gardens is the Solomon Islands' capital's largest green space — a 19-hectare urban forest in the Rove suburb, just two kilometres from the city centre. Founded in 1965 by tropical botanist Professor Tim Whitmore, the gardens hold a rich collection of local and exotic plant species, including the largest assortment of Solomon Island orchids, and shelter native birds, reptiles and insects beneath a canopy of forest trees. Described by its director as 'a Forest in the City', the gardens are beloved by residents as a place for picnics and quiet walks along Rove Creek.↗↗↗

The gardens have faced decades of decline due to limited resources and competing land uses, but a serious restoration effort is underway. Backed by international projects, a landscape master plan and community clean-up campaigns are gradually returning the gardens to their original vision. Visitors today find a place of genuine ecological interest with a growing sense of momentum — a raw, green heart in the middle of a small Pacific capital.↗

A LITTLE INSPIRATION IS ON ITS WAY

Finding your next place…

Loading the guide.

Park · Honiara

Honiara Botanical Gardens

Honiara, SB 3.3 (10 Google reviews)

Photo: Google Maps

AT A GLANCE

Why go?

Honiara Botanical Gardens is the Solomon Islands' capital's largest green space — a 19-hectare urban forest in the Rove suburb, just two kilometres from the city centre. Founded in 1965 by tropical botanist Professor Tim Whitmore, the gardens hold a rich collection of local and exotic plant species, including the largest assortment of Solomon Island orchids, and shelter native birds, reptiles and insects beneath a canopy of forest trees. Described by its director as 'a Forest in the City', the gardens are beloved by residents as a place for picnics and quiet walks along Rove Creek.↗↗↗

The gardens have faced decades of decline due to limited resources and competing land uses, but a serious restoration effort is underway. Backed by international projects, a landscape master plan and community clean-up campaigns are gradually returning the gardens to their original vision. Visitors today find a place of genuine ecological interest with a growing sense of momentum — a raw, green heart in the middle of a small Pacific capital.↗

↗

A Living Archive of Pacific Plants

Established in 1965 by Professor Tim Whitmore, a renowned tropical botanist, the gardens were designed as a showcase for the flora of the Solomon Islands and beyond. Whitmore's original layout included a network of paths, open spaces and structures that still form the garden's backbone today. Special collections include a developing assortment of traditional medicinal plants alongside exotic species introduced during the early decades. Recent plantings have focused on returning the emphasis to native species.↗↗↗

The standout botanical treasure is the collection of Solomon Island orchids — said to be the largest assembly of these species anywhere. For anyone with an interest in tropical botany, the understory of the gardens can offer rewarding encounters with flowering epiphytes and native ferns tucked among the roots and branches of large forest trees.↗

Wildlife Along Rove Creek

The gardens are not just a collection of plants — they are functioning habitat. A 2016 ecosystem study highlighted that the site maintains a linear fauna corridor along Rove Creek, with continuous habitat connectivity to the upper reaches of this small coastal watershed thanks to relatively intact riparian vegetation. The forest provides a sanctuary for a wide array of reptiles, birds and insects found nowhere else in Honiara.↗↗

Beyond biodiversity, the forest serves practical environmental functions for the city: regulating stormwater, reducing flood risk, filtering sediment out of Rove Creek, and providing fresh air to nearby neighbourhoods. Walking among the trees, visitors are moving through a natural infrastructure system that keeps Honiara resilient.↗

Restoration Underway

By the 1980s, the gardens had deteriorated significantly from their showpiece beginnings. A rehabilitation push in 1990 by volunteers and local staff revived some collections, and a national management committee was established in 2018 to coordinate restoration. In 2023, a landscape architecture master plan was launched under the EU-funded PACRES project, laying out a vision to expand and develop the gardens while integrating the original 1965 design elements.↗↗↗

A key challenge has been waste. In April 2025, over 166 residents from neighbouring communities joined a clean-up that addressed more than 26 informal dumping sites within the gardens. The initiative, supported by the PEBACC+ project, aimed to establish community ownership and restore the area's health. Landscaping experts are now being brought in to further improve the garden's ecology and visitor experience.↗

Visiting the Gardens

The gardens sit in Rove, about two kilometres west of central Honiara off the Tandai Highway. Garden Drive — opposite the Iron Bottom Sound Hotel — winds around the Rove Prison complex and past the Solomon Islands Broadcasting buildings to reach the entrance. The site is open around the clock with no formal entry fee, making it a popular early-morning or late-afternoon retreat for locals who come for walks, picnics and birdwatching.↗↗

Visitors should come with a sense of place rather than expecting polished tourist infrastructure. Paths exist from Whitmore's original design, the forest canopy is intact in many areas, and the sense of being immersed in a tropical urban oasis is genuine. Bring water, insect repellent, and sturdy footwear for uneven ground.↗

What makes it special

01

19 hectares of urban forest — Honiara's largest green space↗

02

Home to the largest assortment of Solomon Island orchids↗

03

Founded in 1965 by tropical botanist Professor Tim Whitmore↗↗

04

Active restoration guided by a 2023 landscape master plan↗

A little planning goes a long way

Free to visit and open 24 hours; no website or formal visitor centre exists, so come prepared for a self-guided experience.↗
Best visited early morning or late afternoon for cooler temperatures and active birdlife along Rove Creek.↗
Wear closed shoes and long trousers — ground can be uneven and the area is under active ecological management.
The gardens are in a state of restoration; some areas may still show signs of neglect or ongoing work, but the forest canopy and natural atmosphere remain compelling.↗↗

About this guide

Compiled with AI assistance from the sources below; this is not a first-hand visit. Place details collected October 6, 2026. Hours, access and ratings can change; confirm with the venue before visiting.

Find your way

Rove, Honiara, Solomon Islands

Open in Google Maps

You might want to ask

Plan a Day Trip to Honiara Botanical Gardens Add Honiara Botanical Gardens to My Solomon Islands Itinerary Find the Best Route to Honiara Botanical Gardens

Opening hours +

As reported by Google Maps. Confirm holiday hours before you go.

Friday: Open 24 hours
Monday: Open 24 hours
Sunday: Open 24 hours
Tuesday: Open 24 hours
Saturday: Open 24 hours
Thursday: Open 24 hours
Wednesday: Open 24 hours

MAKE IT PART OF YOUR TRIP

Curiosity looks
good on you.

Save this place, add a few more, and let Fortrip help connect the dots.

Plan a visit

Finding your next place…

Honiara Botanical Gardens

Why go?

More of Honiara.

American War Memorial

Kolaa Ridge

Finding your next place…

Honiara Botanical Gardens

Why go?

More of Honiara.

American War Memorial

Kolaa Ridge

A Living Archive of Pacific Plants

Wildlife Along Rove Creek

Restoration Underway

Visiting the Gardens

What makes it special

A little planning goes a long way

About this guide