The botanical garden of Aswan, Egypt, on an island in the middle of the Nile

In Egypt, the Aswan Botanical Garden is on an island in the middle of the Nile. On the east bank, the city is bustling. On the west bank, you can see a narrow band of vegetation bitten by the first steps of the desert. This island downstream from the first cataract of the Nile has changed its name several times.

The Nubian population called it “Natron” before it became “Kitchener Island”, named after the English general Horatio Kitchener, creator of the garden, says the Egyptian guide and nature enthusiast, Achraf Youssef: “When the general decided to make a garden on this island, he gave the order to bring trees, plants from all over the world. Today, therefore, when you visit the garden, you can see Asian, African, North American, Argentinian plants…

The garden has also been planted with a large collection of palm trees, and in particular along a long path of royal palm trees. (Roystonea regia) whose trunks are white and between 15 and 20 meters high”, says Ashraf Youssef.

The collection of palm trees is, it is true, rather impressive. They come from everywhere, but the Egyptian palm trees which give dates are also well represented, in particular the doum palm (Hyphaene thebaica). Its leaves are used in basketry and its trunk can replace wood.

We also eat the fruits, of course: “The fruits look like brown nuts. They are eaten after removing the skin and after roasting them. Otherwise it is too difficult to eat. And in Aswan, the fruits are also processed into juice. Doum juice is a good hypotensor, according to Ashraf Youssef.

Doum juice is a very popular drink among the people of Aswan

Ashraf Youssef

at franceinfo

The Aswan Botanical Garden also houses the sacred plants of ancient Egypt: the lotus, the papyrus and the sycamore (used by the builders of the pyramids).

There is also sandalwood, magnificent bougainvillea, jasmine, flowering vines, cheese, eucalyptus and clitoria. This exotic plant with an evocative name forms purple flowers. Fresh or dried, they can be used to make a pretty amazing blue or purple tea.

You can experience this by growing the Clitoria ternatea your house. It behaves very well as an annual plant.