Greenhouses

The layout of the greenhouse complex, which was built over a hundred years ago, has essentially remained unchanged to this day. Along with a few more recently built greenhouses, the complex now comprises 17 buildings with a total surface of approx. 1,350 square meters.

The greenhouses contain plants that are used for research and university teaching or that need to be saved from extinction. Only the tropical greenhouse is open to the public. However, two display windows provide a glimpse into the orchid and cactus greenhouses.

The individual greenhouses differ in terms of temperature and humidity. A distinction is made between cold, temperate and warm houses, which need to be kept moist, moderately moist or dry. This provides a wide range of cultivation options for plant species from every conceivable vegetation unit in the tropical and subtropical regions. With approx. 6,500 species and around 17,000 accessions, space in the greenhouses is used intensively. In addition to the cultivation of large plants in ground-level beds (i.e. planted out in the ground) and the cultivation of smaller plants in pots on greenhouse shelves, almost all the houses utilise the additional air space and light conditions higher up.

The greenhouses are connected to one another via the so-called ’gardener's tract’. This connection enables the gardeners to transport plants from one house to the other without harm, even in the cold season. Propagation and repotting work is also carried out here.