ABSTRACT
Home gardens are small land units for miscellaneous crop production, usually within the homestead in rural, suburban, and urban communities. These gardens are an important component of subsistence living, sometimes a cash resource and repository sites for uncommon and common plant species of mixed life cycles. The aim of this study is to document the plant species associated with home gardens in Benin City. The survey was conducted within six local government areas of Edo state which includes Egor, Ikpoba Okha, Oredo, Ovia Southwest, Ovia Northeast, and Orhionmwon using sem-structured open and close-ended questionnaires in English as well as a digital camera among one hundred and twenty randomly selected respondents. A total of 70 plant species and 33 botanical families were surveyed across the study area. Their uses include for food, shelter, beautification, medicine, income generation, wind break and fencing. Most common plant species encountered include; Vernonia amygdalina, Telfairia Occidentalis, Ocimum gratissimum, Talinum triangulare, and Musa paradisiaca. The most dominant families were Fabaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Malvaceae, and Rutaceae. Herbs formed the majority of plant species surveyed. Home gardens should be encouraged as they have important nutritional and health benefits.
