PhenObs research project

Since 2018, the Botanical Garden has been working with partners from all over the world to investigate how herbaceous plants react to global warming. To this end, the phenology of more than 160 species in the Botanical Garden is being studied over a period of several years. Every week, five employees record the various phenological development stages of the plants, from the first shoots in winter and flower formation in spring to the ripening of the fruits and the weathering of the leaves later in the year.

The data collected as part of the project are compared with observations from gardens around the world. This huge amount of data should help us understand how herbaceous plants adapt to global warming.

The plants examined are labelled with a plant label (’PhenObs plant’). As the plants are observed over many years, no plant parts may be picked here – a rule that applies throughout the entire Garden.