MEDIA FACTSHEET C

Alexandra No. 394 (HortHouse)

Alexandra Road No. 394 is a colonial house that was built in the early 20th century to serve the staff of the Former States Railway at the height of rail transportation for trade and commerce and emergence of rail corridors in the Malay Peninsula, where Singapore served as a primary trading port. Spanning 0.7 hectares in size, the bungalow consists of a two- storey main building (257.5 m2) and an outhouse (98.03 m2). Owing to its large size, the building was believed to have housed a high-ranking official, possibly the railway superintendent, and his family.

The house was designed in the Arts & Craft style, with its steeply-pitched tile roof and gable wall. Its unique asymmetrical arrangement of architectural features with brick skirting around the base exudes a 1930s country cottage charm. An example of Singapore’s domestic architecture and of buildings and structures tied to Singapore’s rail history, Alexandra Road No. 394 was gazetted as a conserved building by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) on 6 June 2014. The building was restored in 2017.

HortHouse

Alexandra Road No. 394 will be named “HortHouse” and will serve as a training centre for the Centre for Urban Greenery and Ecology (CUGE). The centre will continue to offer a range of courses on horticulture, arboriculture, and botany for landscape industry partners as well as gardening community.

Due to be opened in early 2018, HortHouse will accommodate a visitor services counter and training classrooms. An information board will also be installed to educate visitors about the history of the house. Visitors looking to find out more about the park or learn more about CUGE courses can approach the counter for more information. CUGE classes will begin in January 2018.

The compound will also provide visitors with a more prominent and direct access to the park. Visitors heading in from the main road can look forward to a vibrant display of eleven families of flowers and foliage used for landscape design along the pathway leading to the house. Part of the showcase will also feature a collection of exotic and local cultivars and species nurtured at the Pasir Panjang Nursery, which may be refreshed when there are new species to be introduced.

Page 1 of 7 For more information, please contact Cassandra Lew at or Ng Li-San at Information accurate as of 3 November 2017.

Some of the that are part of the permanent display in front of HortHouse are listed below.

S/N Description Photo

1 Botanical name: Cerbera floribunda Common name: Cassowary Plum Family:

The Cassowary Plum is a tall tree which can grow to a height of 40 m and belongs to the same genus as the common Pong Pong tree. It bears white flowers with a red centre which give rise to oval shaped, purplish blue fruits which are one of the favorite food of Cassowary, hence the common name Cassowary Fruit. However, the fruit is toxic

for human consumption.

2 Botanical name: Aloysia virgata Common name: Sweet Almond Verbena Family: Verbenaceae

This is an ornamental shrub with a white drooping inflorescence which emits a sweet, fruity fragrance. The flowers are used as an ingredient in perfumes. It is also suitable as a butterfly nectar plant in

butterfly themed gardens.

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3. Botanical name: Dillenia philippinensis Common name: Philippines Simpoh Family: Dilleniaceae

Native to the Philippines, this evergreen small tree grows up to 15 m tall. The big, white flowers produce globular-shaped fruits with edible sepals. The young shoots and flowers are also used as flavourings in dishes.

4. Botanical name: Lawsonia inermis Common name: Henna Tree Family: Lythraceae

The Henna tree is a small tree which grows up to 5 m. It is well-known for its use in traditional Indian medicines. The reddish- brown paste extracted from its leaves are also widely used for body art.

5. Botanical name: Jasminum sambac ‘Grand Duke of Tuscany’ Common name: Rose Family: Oleaceae

The Rose Jasmine is a vine or climber which can be grown in pots, and flowers best under full sun. Its fragrant flowers have densely overlapping petals, and are used to

make jasmine tea and perfumes.

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6. Botanical name: Pseuderanthemum carruthersii var. carruthesii ‘Reticulatum’ Common name: Yellow-Veined Eranthenum Family: Acanthaceae

The Yellow-veined Eranthenum is a herbaceous shrub commonly grown as a border in flower beds and is suitable to be grown in containers. It is the host plant of the Autumn Leaf butterfly, making it a good choice for butterfly themed gardens.

7. Botanical name: Euphorbia tithymalodies spp. smallii (curly leaves) Common name: Devil’s Backbone Family: Euphorbiaceae

This plant is a succulent shrub which grows in clumps and thrives best under full sun. It bears red, bird-shaped flowers which produce nectar that attract birds.

8. Botanical name: Hibiscus acetosella ‘Red Shield’ Common name: Red-Leaf Hibiscus Family: Malvaceae

This Hibiscus is an ornamental woody perennial shrub with dark, reddish foliage and flowers. The leaves are edible and have a tart taste. It is used in salads or stir- fried dishes.

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9. Botanical name: Clerodendrum incisum Common name: Musical Notes Family: Lamiaceae (Labiatae)

The Musical Notes is a small bushy shrub which produces long and tubular, white flowers, with buds that resemble musical notes, hence its common name.

10. Botanical name: Rothmannia longiflora Common name: Terompet Gading Family: Rubiaceae

This plant is a small evergreen tree which can grow up to 9 m tall. It is grown in gardens for its attractive, trumpet-shaped flowers with white to pale pinkish petals and purple spots. A black dye can be extracted from the flowers and the fruits are said to be used as marks on hands, body, face to imitate tattoos.

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11. Botanical name: Hedychium coronarium 'Elizabeth' Common name: Ginger Lily Family: Zingiberaceae

A herbaceous shrub from the Ginger family, the Ginger Lily has salmon pink flowers which are fragrant and resemble butterflies.

The showcase will also feature families of plants from the Pasir Panjang Nursery, which may be changed when there are new species.

1. The Apocynanceae family, is a group of flowering plants named after Scottish physician and botanist, Dr William Wright (1735 – 1819). Notable genera of this family include the frangipani (Plumeria), periwinkle (Catharanthus) and Wrightia.

Wrightia plants are typically shrubs or small trees, one of which is the popular home garden plant, the Wrightia religiosa. Commonly known as the Water Jasmine or 水梅 (Shui Mei) in Chinese, this plant is beloved for its heady sweet fragrance and delicate clusters of white, pendulous flowers. An uncommon Wrightia on display is the orange flowered W. religiosa x W. dubia. This hybrid produces blooms with a fragrance more potent than either of its parents.

2. Jasminum Jasminum is a genus of shrubs and climbers from the Olive family, Oleaceae. The many species and cultivars of are all widely grown for their distinctive sweet and lasting fragrance. Jasmines are beloved in Thailand as a symbol of purity, gentleness and motherhood. The Jasminum ‘Mali Son’, is especially popular in Thailand during Mother’s Day as the petals of the pure, white flower curve towards the centre like a mother’s arms embracing her child.

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3. Gardenia Gardenia is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the Coffee family, Rubiaceae. They are best known for their intense fragrance and attractive white flowers that can last up to three days.

Gardenia taitensis is the national flower of French Polynesia and the Cook Islands. This plant bears large flowers (5 cm wide) that has a strong, sweet fragrance. In some Pacific island traditions, Gardenia flowers worn on the left ear of a lady mean that she is attached while flowers worn on the right ear mean that she is still available.

4. Solanum Solanum is a diverse genus of flowering plants. This family consists of both economically important crop species like tomatoes and potatoes as well as poisonous plants like Deadly Nightshade and Devil’s Snare. Plants from the Solanaceae family are easily recognised by their distinct flowers with five petals, sepals and stamens.

An interesting Solanum species is the Solanum glaucophyllum, commonly known as the Waxyleaf Nightshade. This is popularly grown for its ornamental bluish-purple flowers and silver leaves.

5. Hibiscus The Hibiscus is a genus belonging to the Mallow family or Malvaceae. The plant is often grown for its brightly coloured, large and showy flowers which often attract biodiversity such as butterflies and bees. Some species are even edible, like the Hibiscus sabdariffa, commonly called Roselle which can be made into a drink. Different species of Hibiscus have also been named the national flower of different nations; for example, Hibiscus rosa-sinensis is the national flower of Malaysia while the Hibiscus syriacus is the national flower of South Korea.

6. Rosa The Rosa is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the Rosaceae or the Rose family. Popular for their ornamental blooms and edible fruit, some well-known economically important fruits from the Rose family include apples, peaches, loquats and strawberries.

Rosa are famous for their ornamental flowers and have been cultivated for thousands of years for their beauty that have inspired artists for generations. Some varieties are perfumed, flowers can also vary in size and colour, ranging from white through yellow and red. Most of the Rosa species and cultivars are thorny.

Page 7 of 7 For more information, please contact Cassandra Lew at or Ng Li-San at Information accurate as of 3 November 2017.