Hidden Garden has created a unique Afro-botanical collection, featuring African plants used here in the Americas, and other plants which play an important role in Africana ethnobotany. Based on years of research here at the garden and the revolutionary book, In The Shadow of Slavery: Africa’s Botanical Legacy in the Atlantic World, we have a growing list of important medicinal, nutritional and spiritual plants that came from Africa over the past 500 years. These plants have been organized into a ceremonial space, using the Sacred Grove model from West Africa (see Ormsby & Egbeako ) in which plant conservation areas serve as grounds for other wellness and spiritual traditions to take place.

Honoring the Botanical Traditions of the African Diaspora

1. Research by volunteers and staff in Afro-botany, the ethnobotany of the African Diaspora, results of which are incorporated into Hidden Garden’s online botanical database and research library.
2. Seed & Plant Collection – including donations from community members, ethnobotanists and a visit to the Bri Bri Seed Exchange, which proved extremely fruitful. These seeds have been planted by volunteers and are currently under close supervision to ensure their survival.
3. Networking – identifying and contacting academic experts, non-governmental and governmental organizations and community elders
4. Wisdom Sharing – creating opportunities for sharing ancestral and academic information in a traditional setting which honors and includes local elders and community members
5. Botanical Repatriation – offering Africana plants, ethnobotanical information and cultural practices, free of charge, to local Afro-Costa Rican residents and online

The plants listed below are either of African origin or have been integral to the survival of Africans in the Atlantic Diaspora. The list is a work in progress and features particularly those plants which can potentially grow in lowland Caribbean tropics. Those which have a number are already in our garden and the others are on our wish list (those marked with P are priority). If you or someone you know has access to these plants and/or information about the African ethnobotanical experience in the Americas, please reach out to us.

Are you interested in researching Africana Ethnobotany?

Check out this list of suggested research topics. Feel free to contact us about finding a local elder, teacher or thesis advisor if you need assistance.

Africana Ethnobotany Teachers