Botanical Garden Atocha-La Liria ( es, Jardín botánico Atocha-La Liria; Jardín botánico de Ambato) is a

botanical garden A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens, an ...

located on Avenue Circunvalación, in Ambato,

Tungurahua Province Tungurahua ( es, Provincia del Tungurahua, literally ''Province of the Tungurahua''; ) is one of the twenty-four provinces of Ecuador. Its capital is Ambato. The province takes its name from the Tungurahua volcano, which is located within the b ...

, Ecuador. It consists of 14 hectares and dates from 1849.Jardín Botánico Atocha - Liria
Viajando en Ecuador - Colombia

History

It was established by Dr. Martinez Vasconez Nicolas, who acquired the properties that make up the ''Quinta La Liria''. It is administered by the Municipality of Ambato, which created the ''Quinta Atocha'' and formed the botanical garden Atocha-La Liria. The first

eucalyptus ''Eucalyptus'' () is a genus of over seven hundred species of flowering trees, shrubs or mallees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Along with several other genera in the tribe Eucalypteae, including '' Corymbia'', they are commonly known as euca ...

trees planted in Ecuador in 1849 when President

Gabriel García Moreno Gabriel Gregorio Fernando José María García Moreno y Morán de Butrón (24 December 1821 – 6 August 1875), was an Ecuadorian politician and aristocrat who twice served as President of Ecuador (1861–65 and 1869–75) and was assassinated d ...

came on a visit to meet Dr. Nicolas Martinez, are located in the garden, as is the

Martínez-Holguín House Museum Martínez-Holguín House ( es, Casa Museo Martínez-Holguín) is a historic house museum in Atocha, Ecuador, Atocha parish, in the northern suburbs of Ambato, Ecuador, Ambato, Ambato Canton, Tungurahua Province, Ecuador. It is situated in the Bota ...

. The museum is made of

adobe Adobe ( ; ) is a building material made from earth and organic materials. is Spanish for ''mudbrick''. In some English-speaking regions of Spanish heritage, such as the Southwestern United States, the term is used to refer to any kind of e ...

and exhibits the furnishings and artifacts belonging to the La Quinta Mera family.

Location

The garden the museum and the house La Quinta de Juan León Mera are situated in the Río Ambato in the neighborhood area of Atocha in northern Ambato, one of the oldest city neighborhoods. It is at a distance from about 2 km northeast of the downtown area of Atocha.

Features

Botanical samples of more than 200 species (250 plant and flower species were reportedly found in the garden in 2009,) both native to Ecuador, as well as species from five continents. However, in 2014 there were only 99 species reported, under 67 families and 78 genera. Out of these 49 are reported to be native, 5 endemic, 46 introduced, 6 food plants, 4 herbal, 11 ornamental, 4 wood, 4 hallucinogenic for industrial purposes and 2 species to be interpreted. This decline is attributed to the neglect on the part of the administration. In 2002, restoration was initiated by setting up the Botanical Garden Foundation but came to established on November 19, 2005. Municipality of Ambato had planned to extend the garden with new theme area of plants drawn from three different gardens in the world, an exclusive area for

cactus A cactus (, or less commonly, cactus) is a member of the plant family Cactaceae, a family comprising about 127 genera with some 1750 known species of the order Caryophyllales. The word ''cactus'' derives, through Latin, from the Ancient Greek ...

, an Andean

orchards An orchard is an intentional plantation of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit- or nut-producing trees which are generally grown for commercial production. Orchards are also sometimes a feature of larg ...

zone,

marsh A marsh is a wetland that is dominated by herbaceous rather than woody plant species.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p Marshes can often be found at ...

land, lower mountain forest area, and a

water garden Water garden or aquatic garden, is a term sometimes used for gardens, or parts of gardens, where any type of water feature is a principal or dominant element. The primary focus is on plants, but they will sometimes also house waterfowl, or orn ...

. The plan also included setting up of a center for environmental education, a nursery,

palm Palm most commonly refers to: * Palm of the hand, the central region of the front of the hand * Palm plants, of family Arecaceae **List of Arecaceae genera * Several other plants known as "palm" Palm or Palms may also refer to: Music * Palm (ba ...

alley es
Camino alineado con palmeras en Jardín Botánico de Ambato Atocha La Liria. Ecuador
} and a greenhouse to foster orchids.

References

{{Reflist Botanical gardens in Ecuador Tourist attractions in Tungurahua Province 1849 establishments in Ecuador