Arid House
Within this section of the glasshouses you will find our collection of cacti and other succulents from several desert regions of the world.
Desert rains are often light and brief, and the soil dries rapidly under an intense sun. To cope with these conditions, nearly all show various adaptations to arid conditions in that they store water in fleshy leaves, stems or roots. Because of the lower temperatures and higher humidity at night in desert regions many also employ a water-efficient variant of photosynthesis called Crassulacean Acid Metabolism. CAM plants open their stomata at night and store carbon dioxide. During the heat of the day, while the stomata are closed, photosynthesis is conducted using the stored carbon dioxide thus avoiding water loss.
Stored water in an arid environment requires protection from thirsty animals. Most succulent plants are spiny or toxic, often both.
Some of the plants you may see in this section include:
Aloe vera
Native to the south-west Arabian Peninsula, naturalised in northern Africa (Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia, along with the Cape Verde Islands, Canary Islands, Maderia) this plant is now cultivated throughout the world.
Amongst its many common names perhaps Medicinal Aloe, Medicine Plant, Burn Plant perhaps describe best the supposed healing properties of this plant. Although there is little scientific evidence of the effectiveness or safety of Aloe vera extracts for either cosmetic or medicinal purposes, the cosmetic and alternative medicine industries regularly make claims regarding the soothing, moisturizing, and healing properties of Aloe vera.
Crassula ovata
Commonly known as the Money Tree, Jade Plant, Friendship Tree and Chinese Rubber Tree this succulent is native to South Africa and Mozambique. It has long been popular as a houseplant probably due to the low levels of care needed to grow it.
Echinocactus grusonii
Now endangered in the wild this cactus from Mexico commonly called the golden barrel cactus, golden ball or, sometimes, mother-in-law's cushion live to around 30 years old and do not generally flower until 20 years old.
Mammillaria bombycina
Now becoming vulnerable in the wild due to illegal collecting this pink-flowered cactus from Mexico also known as the Silk Pincushion is a popular houseplant.
Stapelia grandiflora
Also known as the Giant Toad Plant, Giant Zulu and Star Fish Flower this plant from South Africa (Northern Cape, Eastern Cape and Free State) is also a very popular houseplant grown worldwide for its eye catching and large flowers. The flowers smell of rotting flesh which attracts flies in areas where other pollinating insects are scarce.
Temperate House
Constructed in the early 1990’s on the site of the original wooden Tropical and Show glasshouses which had become dangerous and needed to be demolished this landscaped glasshouse is where you will find plants from around the world which experience Mediterranean-like temperatures.
These Mediterranean-like areas of the world including Chile, South Africa and Western Australia experience temperatures which can fall to just above freezing but rarely below.
Economic House
In this glasshouse you will find plants from around the world which have various economic uses. It also contains a collection of foliage begonias and hybrid epiphyllums.
Some of the plants you may see include:
Cyperus papyrus
Native of Africa this is a species of aquatic flowering plant belonging to the sedge family and forms tall stands of reed-like swamp vegetation in shallow water.
Papyrus sedge has a very long history of use by humans, notably by the Ancient Egyptians (the pith being used as a source of papyrus paper, one of the first types of paper ever made). The highly buoyant stems can be made into boats. It is now often cultivated as an ornamental plant.
Musa acuminata 'Cavendishii Group'
Derived from Musa acuminata which is native of SE Asia this variety is a result of thousands of years of selection resulting in the most familiar dessert banana cultivar. The ratio of pulp to seeds increases dramatically in these "seedless" edible cultivars with the seeds themselves being reduced to tiny black specks along the centre of the fruit.
Psidium cattleyanum
Commonly known as strawberry guava or cherry guava this native of Brazil is widely cultivated elsewhere.
Ceratonia siliqua
Commonly known as Carob, St John's-bread, or Locust bean this tree is native to the Mediterranean.
It is widely cultivated for its edible pods. The ripe, dried pod is often ground to carob powder, which is used to replace cocoa powder. Carob bars, an alternative to chocolate bars, are often available in health-food stores. The production of locust bean gum (LBG), used in the food industry, is the economically most important use of carob seeds. LBG is used as a thickening agent, stabilizer, gelling agent, or as a substitute for gluten in low-calorie products.
The unit "carat", used for weighing precious metal and stones comes from the ancient practice of weighing gold and gemstones against the seeds of the carob tree by people in the Middle East. The system was eventually standardized, and one carat was fixed at 0.2 grams.
Coffea arabica
Originally native to the forests of Ethiopia and the mountainous regions of Yemen this familiar plant is now widely cultivated elsewhere around the world. The first written record of coffee made from roasted coffee beans comes from Arab scholars, who wrote that it was useful in prolonging their working hours. The Arab innovation in Yemen of making a brew from roasted beans, spread first among the Egyptians and Turks, and later on found its way around the world.
Tropical range glasshouse
Constructed in the early 1990’s on the site of the original wooden Tropical and Show glasshouses which had become dangerous and needed to be demolished this landscaped glasshouse is where you will find plants from the jungles and rainforests of the world. It has been planted so as to give a naturalistic setting.
This glasshouse contains many epiphytes (plants that use other plants to live on but are not parasitic, merely using them as a convenient perch to achieve more favourable conditions) such as bromeliads, aroids and orchids.
The plants in these glasshouses experience temperatures of
no lower than 12° C.