Minus temperatures and an all too gray winter sky are currently awakening a longing for summer warmth and color. This is exactly what the Botanical Garden offers - here and now in wintry St.Gallen, with generous opening hours and free of charge.
Immerse yourself in the plant world
In winter, the outdoor area of the Botanical Garden looks at first glance like an ordinary, large garden. Only a few branches and stalks stick out from under the white blanket of snow, and the shrubs are bare. Nothing of the colorfulness of the warmer months has remained. Under the snow, however, are botanical treasures that will come back to life in the spring. The snow has an important function: it insulates. The plants are not directly exposed to the cold through the snow cover and are thus better protected. "The worst thing in winter is when it has been warm for a long time, so there is no snow, and then there is a sudden cold snap" says Ivo Moser, co-director of the Botanical Garden. He knows the garden like the back of his hand and knows why a visit is worthwhile even in the off-season.
"The worst thing for plants in the winter is when it's been warm for an extended period of time, so there's no snow, and then there's a sudden cold snap."
Ivo Moser, Co-director of the Botanical Garden
For example, there is the Chinese witch hazel, a woody plant that was brought to us from China in the 19th century for its ornamental value. Despite snow and cold, it is in full bloom. Its bright yellow flower clusters provide pleasant color accents in the winter colorlessness. The eye-catcher among the herbaceous plants is currently the Christmas rose. As its name suggests, its flowering period begins around Christmas. This plant, which is native to southern Ticino, among other places, attracts the few pollinators that are present during the cold season with its white petals and abundant nectar.
It's a completely different story when you go inside the tropical house. Warm, humid air and the smell of earth flow towards you. Green, juicy leaves in all sizes and shapes, flowers in red, yellow and purple. The colorful blossoms not only look beautiful, but have an important purpose: they attract the right pollinators for the plant. Plants like the Lush Golden Calyx, which are pollinated by bats, tend to have lighter colored flowers. This allows the nocturnal bats to find the flowers even in low light. Plants that are pollinated by birds, on the other hand, rely on red tones that contrast well with the green of the background. They do not use scent, however, because birds orient themselves primarily visually and have only a weak sense of smell.
There are also tropical crops such as papaya, banana, coffee and even cocoa to marvel at. Incense plants such as frankincense and myrrh are also included, as is the spice plant vanilla - a type of orchid from the tropics of the New World. To ensure that the tropical and subtropical plants feel at home here, the tropical house is heated to 18 to 25 degrees in winter. Sprays from the ceiling provide the necessary high humidity.
The plants in the back of the tropical house come from tropical rainforests near the equator. They are particularly in need of warmth and moisture. If these conditions are met, they can grow, flower and fruit all year round. In order to get enough light in the vigorous rainforest, many tropical woody plants grow rapidly in height. As a result, their stability often suffers. The dwarf screw tree has found its own solution to this problem. It sprouts rod-like stilt roots from the crown area, which grow downwards. Once there, these anchor themselves in the soil, providing additional stability. Other strategies also lead to the same goal. Many tropical bromeliads and orchids forgo roots in the soil altogether and grow as perching plants at airy, light-filled heights on other plants. The taro, a tropical arum plant, doesn't even try to get to the light. Instead, it forms huge leaves with which it still receives sufficient light on the shady ground.
A visit to the tropical house is worthwhile at any time and especially in winter. Such a tour is not a full-fledged substitute for a vacation trip to the tropics, but a suitable remedy for wanderlust and winter blues all the same.