Page 3 - Tropical glasshouses

Tropical glasshouses
Welcome to the Hortus botanicus Leiden. One of the ‘jewels in our crown’ is the tropical glasshouse complex. The Hortus has managed collections of tropical plants since the seventeenth century; the collections have been extensively expanded since then, and are still in daily use for education and research. We focus in particular on plants from the Southeast Asia region. The current tropical glass- houses date from 1938, when the complex was constructed in a horse-shoe formation around the maidenhair tree (Ginkgo biloba, planted around 1785), which had already attained monumental proportions by then. The glasshouses underwent radical renovation in 2013, and the plants
have now grown and ourished, so you can admire the collections in their full glory.
As a leading academic botanical garden we are eager to share our passion for plants and to use our knowledge and our collections for the bene t of nature and humankind. This walking tour provides a rst acquaintance with our extensive collection of tropical plants, guiding you past the highlights. We hope you will be inspired to return again and again.
Prof. Dr. Paul Keßler, Hortus Prefect, Professor of Botanical Gardens and the Botany of Southeast Asia
Tamarindus indica from Herbarium Amboinense, 1741 by Georgius Everhardus Rumphius
3