Tropical House
Welcome to the Tropical House!
Tropical climates are warm, wet, and never get cold enough for frost. As a result, many types of plants thrive in this type of climate, and tropical climates are known for having a large variety of species and plant features. Some tropical plants have long flowering seasons, and may even have flowers year-round! Walking through the Tropical House, you'll find many strange-looking shapes and bright colors.
In Matthaei's Tropical House, you'll find plants that were collected over 100 years ago! The Tropical House is used to study endangered species and how different plants adapt to their environment alongside other plants. Because many types of foods eaten by people grow in tropical climates, the Tropical House is also used to study plants important to different cultures and human impact on the environment. (Source)
Theobroma cacao (Chocolate Tree)
Because tropical climates have such a wide variety of plants, many of the foods that we enjoy come from this climate, even if we live in a different part of the world. Some examples are bananas, pineapples, and the pods on the tree pictured here.
Do you see the nickname for this tree? The pods on this tree contain cacao, the main ingredient in chocolate! The cacao tree grows in very specific areas, but people all over the world want cacao to make chocolate. Because there is such high demand for cacao, it is important to protect these plants from overharvesting by humans. Cacao trees are also very important to the cultures of the people who live near them and are at risk of being lost due to climate change. Botanical Gardens like this one offer an opportunity to study these plants to learn how to protect them.
Nepenthes sp. (Tropical Pitcher Plant)
One of the most unusual plants in this house is the Pitcher Plant! You may find these hanging from other plants, as they often use tendrils to climb. Pitcher plants are carnivorous, meaning that they eat animals! Their "pitcher" is a specialized leaf that is used to trap insects and drown them in nectar for the plant to eat.
Neoregelia carolinae (Blushing Bromeliad)
One of the most brightly colored plants to look out for is the Bromeliad. "Bromeliad" actually refers to a whole family of plants, including the pineapple plant! Some types of Bromeliads are very small, and others are very large. Most Bromeliads grow in a rosette shape, like the one pictured here. Their tightly overlapping leaves collect small pools of water. These pools form habitats for many types of small animals, from tiny insects to small frogs!
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