Overview:
A cedar forest grows tall and strong next to a botanical garden in the Ouanaminthe area, testifying to the success of locally-led conservation efforts while serving as peaceful retreats for visitors.
OUANAMINTHE, Haiti — Local entrepreneur Edwi Fils-Aimé got more than he expected when he visited the Botanical Garden of Ouanaminthe recently. Although many Haitian celebrities had been praising the northeast border town attraction, Fils-Aimé’s own tour of the green haven was a real eye-opener.
“I was amazed by the variety of plants,” Fils-Aimé explained afterward. “It felt like I traveled through several countries in just a few hours.”
Located in Bedou, a quiet village about 3.7 miles from the center of Ouanaminthe, the Botanical Garden, is one of two major green spaces in town. The other space is a cedar forest tucked along the banks of the Massacre River nearby.
Both the manicured gardens and cedar forest are bringing back biodiversity, cooling the local climate and restoring the land, local botanists say. Together, the spaces are crucial in the fight to reverse the rampant deforestation and urban extinction that stripped much of northeastern Haiti of native plants. To the botanists, the spaces stand as proof that Haiti’s ecological revival can grow from the ground up.
“Initially, we wanted to create something that would mark our generation’s contribution to the community,” Sanchez Pierre, an environmental geographer and one of the botanic garden’s founders, recalled recently.
“Now, our mission is broader: To preserve life on our planet,” Pierre added.
A homegrown oasis ignites conservation efforts
From 2016 to 2020, a trio of agronomists and nature advocates — Pierre, Alex Milhomme and Junior Joseph — created the botanical garden as a way to build their legacy. As natives of the northeast themselves, the agronomists understood that the area’s ecological future was on the line. Much of its soil is shallow, weakly developed and susceptible to erosion, with high levels of nutrient deficiency, especially phosphorus.
They needed to act. So the trio decided to create the garden to help reverse the trend. When they could not find a space to buy at first, family members donated their land to support the project, offering the botanists the very ground they might inherit so a new kind of legacy could take root.
Today, the botanic garden has evolved into a living archive of the northeast’s native flora and fauna, including dozens of endangered and endemic species. Teeming with endemic plants, it is divided into thematic areas — a medicinal garden, a tropical grove and a horticultural section. The garden also serves as a space of relaxation for visitors and a community hub.
Among its star plants is the termite-resistant guaiac tree and the rare Haitian Magnolia flower. Dozens of medicinal herbs, plants such as lemongrass used in centuries of traditional practices, and ornamental species that beautify the landscape mean that the locals are contributing to the region’s ecological and cultural heritage, despite the lack of government support or public policy.
“In this space we collect and store all kinds of plants, even the wild ones,” says Sanchez. “Much of [it] is found nowhere else in the Caribbean.”
The founders have also met several challenges. The guaiac, for example, known locally as the “land tree,” is an extremely hard, termite-resistant wood that grows in the arid northeast. As a source of more durable charcoal, it is also overexploited.
“The guaiac is resilient. It thrives in dry climates and can serve as a natural barrier against extreme weather,” Pierre said. “But it’s vanishing fast.”
To counter the destruction, the founders’ launched several conservation initiatives — seed collection, public awareness campaigns and partnerships with international environmental groups.
Forest brings hope for a flourishing trade
On the Massacre River’s bank, about four miles from the garden, another green initiative took root. Along the bridge connecting Ouanaminthe to the Dominican border, Jesuit priests helped launch a living hedge project, planting thousands of cedar, madelaine or fig, and olive trees. Originally designed to absorb carbon from heavy traffic and reduce erosion, the forest has become a symbol of climate resilience.
“During the hot season, it’s like paradise,” said Manigat Jean Baptiste, who lives nearby. “We need more spaces like this all along the border.”
But the forest now faces steep challenges. While the Jesuits initiated the project, they left its long-term management to the local community, and the area remains outside the Ministry of the Environment’s official protection. Without oversight, residents have begun cutting the cedar trees to use as construction wood, putting the forest at risk. Recently, local police arrested two individuals caught illegally harvesting trees — a sign of growing concern over the forest’s future.
“It’s a green jewel, a blessing — but it could do so much more to attract tourism,” she said.
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“Miracle leaf” in the Ouanaminthe Botanical Garden on January 11, 2025. Photo by Edxon Francisque for The Haitian Times -
Lemongrass and lemon balm, both from the same family of plants seen on January 11, 2025. Photo by Edxon Francisque for The Haitian Times -
The herb known as “simen kontra,” Creole for signed contract and called senokot in English, as seen on January 11, 2025. Photo by Edxon Francisque for The Haitian Times -
Wormwood, or mugwort, seedlings seen on January 11, 2025. Photo by Edxon Francisque for The Haitian Times
Visitors delighted to have breath of fresh air
From students to newlyweds, from ecologists to entertainers, celebrities to locals, the garden and forest draw guests from near and far. The visitors come to learn, celebrate and reconnect with the land in this part of Ouanaminthe. In a town that makes headlines often about Haitian and Dominican Republic tensions, the area’s natural riches are a breath of fresh air, literally.
Visitors like Rose Carline Abel from Dosmond, a few miles from Bedou, describe it as a peaceful escape.
“I come every Saturday just to spend the day with the plants,” she shared. “I was happy to see during my visit the work of celebrities like Anie Alerte in the garden. I learned a lot about Haitian flora and the importance of protecting it.”
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View of an aisle of plants at the Ouanaminthe Botanical Garden in January 2025. Photo by Edxon Francisque for the Haitian Times -
A jackfruit tree, planted by actor Smoye Noisy when he visited the garden three years ago, seen on January 11, 2025. The jackfruit was taken from Venus de Les Irois, a botanical garden in the south of Haiti. Photo by Edxon Francisque for The Haitian Times. -
A cayemite planted by the Director General of the Ministry of Environment, Joseph Emmanuel Philippe. Photo by Edxon Francisque for The Haitian Times.
“What I like most are the medicinal plants. I’d love to grow some at home,” said Getie Joazil, originally from Port-au-Prince, for whom the garden sparked new curiosity
The garden has drawn admirers from across Haiti, including celebrities like actor Smoye Noisy, who bought and planted a rare tree, Artocarpus heterophyllus, known as the jackfruit tree, that originated from the country’s Southern region during his visit in 2022.
“This is more than a garden,” Pierre said. “It’s a place where people learn to know, respect and coexist with nature.”
One striking symbol on the grounds to welcome them all: A sculpture of an oil lamp, a relic of a bygone era, now stands as a quiet prompt for reflection on both technological progress and the fragility of traditions in the face of rapid change.
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