in 1843, botanist and explorer joseph hooker visited the island. four years later, hooker, with much encouragement from darwin, advised the royal navy that with the help of kew gardens, they should institute a long-term plan of shipping trees to ascension. the planted trees would capture more rain and improve the soil, allowing the barren island to become a garden. so, from 1850 and continuing year on year, ships came with an assortment of plants from botanical gardens in argentina, europe and south africa. by the late 1870s norfolk pines, eucalyptus, bamboo, and banana trees grew in profusion at the highest point of the island, green mountain, creating a tropical cloud forest.