Monthly Self-guided Walking Tour

January Walking Tour – A New Year in the Boettcher Memorial Tropical Conservatory

By Nick Snakenberg, Associate Director & Curator of Tropical Collection

You may have noticed that the Boettcher Memorial Tropical Conservatory was closed to the public for several months during 2024. We know it was an inconvenience for visitors, but critical changes and improvements were made during the closure. Most of the changes are not visible to visitors – they involved a complete revamp of HVAC systems that are hidden behind the perimeter walls and repairs to the roof vents that had been completely inoperable for over a decade.

Many plants had to be removed to accommodate the demolition and subsequent construction, but cuttings or divisions were saved of almost every plant impacted. We also left a few large specimens in place and protected them from damage during the construction process. Since the HVAC systems were not working during the renovations, supplemental heat came from portable gas-powered unit heaters.

Now that the dust has settled, it is time to welcome visitors back in to enjoy the benefits of this lengthy process. While many of the newly planted specimens will take a bit of time to fill in, there are still plenty of old favorites to see.

Just inside the lobby doors and to the left is a large specimen of Brownea ariza – a member of the Fabaceae or bean family. Native to tropical South America, this plant exhibits cauliflory – its flowers are born on woody stems or on the trunk. The bright red/orange flowers are short-lived so if you do not notice flowers, look for the glowing buds along the plant’s stems.

Speaking of cauliflory, a little further along this path is a nice specimen of Theobroma cacao. Notice how the fruits are born along the tree’s trunk. Native to tropical Central and South America, this tree is the source of cocoa, cocoa butter and chocolate. It takes a bit of processing to make the fruit palatable. The Aztec name – Xocolatl – means “bitter water” but Linnaeus derived this tree’s scientific name from the words “theos” – meaning God, and “broma” – meaning food. Literally food of the gods.

Another cauliflorous tree can be found at the west end of the south path. The clown fig – Ficus aspera – is a relative of Ficus benjamina, the common houseplant known as weeping fig. You may notice fruits born along the contorted trunk of this tree which has been in our collections since 1965. Ficus aspera is native to the South Pacific region. 

If you already miss your poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima), you can see a specimen of a close relative in the northwest corner of the Tropical Conservatory. Euphorbia punicea is native to Jamaica, Cuba and other Caribbean coastal areas. Like most members of the Euphorbiaceae family, the stems exude a milky sap that can be a skin irritant.

The Boettcher Memorial Tropical Conservatory is a wonderful place to escape the cold thanks to the newly renovated heating and cooling systems. Enjoy your old favorite plants and come back often to watch the progress of the newer plantings! 

Gallery photos by Nick Snakenberg