SINGAPORE - The Native Garden at HortPark has been improved to mark the start of Biodiversity Week.

First launched in 2010, the garden has been expanded by 10 times to some 0.4 hectares (4,000 sq m).

The garden, located at the western end of HortPark, now has more than 100 species of plants native to the island, the highest concentration in a single location in Singapore.

Apart from the habitat collection - which categorises plants based on their native landscapes, be it coastal vegetation, lowland evergreen rainforest, or mangrove - the plants will also be grouped according to their various uses.

The new zones categorise the plants based on their use as medicine, food, and timber, or to enhance the habitats for birds and butterflies.

Some of these new plants include the critically-endangered small-leaved Nutmeg, bearing fruits that are eaten by the Oriental Pied Hornbill, which can be found in the Bird Zone, as well as the Kuini tree, a member of the mango family which produces sweet and juicy fruits often added to smoothies, in the Food Zone.

The annual Biodiversity Week celebrations will take place from May 20 to 28, in conjunction with the International Day of Biological Diversity (May 22), with the theme "Encountering and Exploring Singapore's Biodiversity".

Not only will there be guided tours of the Native Garden all week, the National Parks Board (NParks) has also organised a slew of programmes to tie-in with the theme.

These include a workshop on identifying herbs based on their scent and a concert series at the Shaw Foundation Symphony Stage at Botanic Gardens.

The week will be capped off with a Festival of Biodiversity at nex shopping mall.

The festival will have arts and crafts workshops, a speaker series, as well as a nature-inspired art showcase, among others.

For more information on the events taking place during Biodiversity Week, visit www.nparks.gov.sg/biodiversityweek.