Plants of Bali

The Balinese are masters of landscaping. Alongside their artful rice cultivation they design their gardens with colourful trees and perennials – and since almost everything grows in the mild tropical climate, the variety is enormous. Many blossoms end up in the daily offering trays; landscaping competitions are held regularly, and many Balinese tend their front gardens with special devotion. In many places the island resembles one great park.

The humid tropical climate gives plants ideal conditions to thrive all year round. Some trees, such as the flamboyant, flower only during the rainy season; others shed their leaves in the dry season.

On the following pages we present Bali's plant world. In our descriptions the English name is given first, then the Indonesian and finally the Latin name.