Into the World of Cacti

Photos: Prabir Das

Here in Dhaka, unfortunately, the name- 'National Botanical Garden'- at Mirpur, evokes more negativity than anything else. It is sad but true that various news reports, reviews, experiences will give you very depressing details about its present atmosphere. Truth is that the natural beauty of the place still remains, but reputation and negative vibes, be it visitors who come for the wrong reasons, or those who like to talk about the wrong reasons, is to blame. But true nature enthusiasts would be quite astonished to see around thousand species of trees, herbs, and shrubs including a huge collection of aquatic and exotic plants situated there, being taken care of.

However, amongst the huge assortments of so many shades of green, the 'Cactus House' is one of the most beautiful ones. One would find 46 species of cacti (for instances, golden barrel, old man, mammillaria, acanthocalycium, lobivia, gymnocalycium, Victoria, melocactus, opuntia, bird nest, ferocactus, cleistocactus and much more) in the house, which is, by some, regarded the largest cactus garden in Bangladesh. The garden surrounded by an abundance of greenery was established in 1992 and the cacti were collected by the suppliers, mostly from Kalingham of India and Singapore. 

“These cacti are mainly used for various research and educational purposes”, says MD Sayedur Rahman, Director, National Botanical Garden Bangladesh. “Students from different universities around the country or sometime outside the country, especially from biology, forestry, agriculture and botany departments use these for their academic research purposes, along with the professional researchers”, he adds. 

Upon entering the main entrance, a 10-minute walk will help you to find out the garden, where the cacti are kept in a green house. “Our climate is not too suitable for cacti, since they need a lot of sunlight and heat. Some of them cannot tolerate standing water or winter's moisture”, says 58-year-old Md Yousuf Ali, the gardener, who has been taking care of the cactus house for the past 13 years. “This is why they are kept in the green house, and we try to ensure maximum heat by using incandescent light bulbs, mostly in winters”, he adds. 

Into the house, all the species are arranged in a row, one after another with a name tags hanging on the neck, so that one can easily familiarise themselves with their names. If you are curious about any particular kind, for instance—their nature, lifespan, gardening tips or even grafting procedures, don't hesitate to ask the gardener!

Of the huge collection, one would find the 26-year-old 'Golden Barrel', the oldest kinds of cactus of the garden kept in the center. Golden Barrel basically gives flowers that are very similar to the wheat grains. Another old one- the 'Oldman Cactus' is kept next to the golden barrel but you will not get any flower from it. Flowers of 'Lobivia' seem like the night queen, while the 'Mammillaria' resembles a woman's nose pin. Apart from these, the small pink ball-shaped Ruby Cactus can be sighted from far away. Whenever the immature branches expand and the tubs get filled, they are planted in separate pots.

“I have found it really appealing that there are plenty of grafted cacti, created from different local and international varieties”, says 24-year-old Maliha Moudud, a 3rd year student of Eden College, from the department of Botany.

Cactus house also offers you to buy stunning cacti at a very cheap rate— 100 takas per specie, fixed and regulated by the garden authority. “Along with the private nursery owners, people who care about aesthetical values of their homes and offices are the main customers here”, says Yousuf Ali. 

Nature aficionados, who really want to spend a day within the touch of nature and get a piece of it for your dwelling, don't hesitate to visit the cactus house at the national botanical garden. Before entering the house, just make sure that you have taken the permission from the adjacent garden authority and an oath—'I WON'T TOUCH THE CACTI'.