Relocating a Rainforest: Behind the Scenes at the Botanic Gardens
The Tropical greenhouses at the Utrecht University Botanic Gardens are among its most beloved attractions. But after decades of service, they are ready for retirement and the decision has been made to replace them. Replacing the Greenhouses is far more complex than tearing down glass and steel. It means temporarily relocating, and later returning, thousands of living plants. How do you even begin to move a rainforest?
Taking Stock
Although all of our plants are recorded in our collection database, the entire collection was re-inventoried. Collection manager Gijs Steur explains: “We carried out a complete new inventory of all the plants in the greenhouses as a double check. Before you start moving thousands of plants out, you need to know exactly what you have and what you want to keep. I’m proud to say that our Greenhouses are home to no fewer than 3,199 species, spread across 883 genera and 186 families!”
“I’m proud to say that our Greenhouses are home to no fewer than 3,199 plant species, spread across 883 genera and 186 families”- Collection Manager Gijs Steur
During the inventory, we made a remarkable find: one of the plant species growing in the greenhouses is known to exist in only six other botanical collections worldwide, as far as we know. The species in question is the tree Vasconcellea goudotiana, a member of the Papaya family (Caricaceae). We currently have three male specimens and hope to add a female plant in the future to enable fruit and seed production. Cuttings have already been propagated to safeguard the species.
Warmed Trucks and Big Bags
Demolition of the current Greenhouses is scheduled for mid-2026. In preparation, plants were pruned and partially dug up, then packed into crates and so-called ‘big bags’. The ‘plant exodus’ took place in winter, making climate-controlled ‘warm trucks’ essential to protect the tropical collection from frost. The plants were relocated to specially adapted vacant greenhouses near Rotterdam, where our staff will care for them over the next two years.
Looking Ahead: A Walk Through the Neotropical Realm
The new Greenhouses will offer an immersive visitor experience, designed as a journey through different Neotropical climates. Visitors will move from Mediterranean-type Matorral landscapes to the Sonoran desert, on through the Cerrado savanna, the Pantanal wetlands, the Amazon rainforest and finally the misty cloud forests of the Neblina; in essence, from low and dry to high and wet climates. Please not that these plans are still evolving and nothing is set in stone. Though one thing is certain: the new greenhouses will be of top quality and will offer visitors the possibility to explore the Neotropical realm, without needing to travel the world.