The Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden began its activities in 1808, within the guidelines previously developed in Portugal. The first challenge was to acclimate the so-called spices of the East: vanilla, cinnamon, pepper and others. Thus, initially it was a place of experiments with vegetables sent from other Portuguese provinces, in addition to those from the La Gabrielle Botanical Garden, in French Guiana, recently invaded by Portuguese-Brazilian troops.

In general terms, acclimatizing a species of plant meant, first of all, improving the transport of seedlings and seeds, often brought from other continents on trips that lasted months; then build nurseries to sow them; and, finally, transplanting the vegetables to the soil in different areas and observing the need for sun, shade, water, etc. of each of them. Since such experiments were based on literature produced mainly in Europe, investigations were needed on the adaptation of plants to the Brazilian climate and soil.

During the reign of D. João VI, there was a special incentive for the planting of Camellia sinensis, from which the so-called black tea is produced.

To acquire knowledge about the culture of tea, the Prince Regent sent Chinese to Brazil, as they hold ancient knowledge about the culture and processing of the product. The Botanical Garden was chosen as one of the tea plantation locations and centralized the production stages up to the consumption stage. In the 1820s and 1830s, around 340 kg of leaves were harvested there annually. However, the main objective in the implantation of this culture was the study and production of seeds and seedlings in order to distribute them among the provinces of the Empire, encouraging the planting with a view to export. However, the flavor of the plant was not approved in the international market and the cultivation declined in the following decades.

Other cultures were objects of technical-scientific investigations in the Botanical Garden at the time, in an effort to obtain raw materials for the production of goods that offered profitability, such as the straw from the bonbonaça (Carludovica palmata), for making the so-called Chile hats. or Panama, and mulberry trees (Morus nigra), to feed silkworm cocoons.

Concomitant to the investigations of the plants, the arboretum area was expanded to also serve as a leisure space for the population and, thus, it was sought to adorn it with lakes and waterfalls and proceeded to fill and drain the swamps with the objective of enlarge the area. However, rules were established for a different leisure from that practiced in public parks, revealing the concern to contemplate and organize the two institutional aspects: leisure area and scientific research. The Botanical Garden gave the Court an air of ‘civility’ and helped to spread the beauty and exuberance of Brazilian nature, including among foreigners who arrived in the city.

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