Botanische Gärten der Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn
Encyclopedia
The Botanische Gärten der Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn (6.5 hectares open to public, 3 hectares private), also known as the Botanischer Garten Bonn, is a botanical garden
and arboretum
maintained by the University of Bonn
. It is located at Meckenheimer Allee 171, Bonn
, North Rhine-Westphalia
, Germany
, and open except Saturdays in the warmer months; admission is free on weekdays.
The gardens were originally castle grounds for the Archbishop of Cologne, dating to about 1340, which circa 1650 were fashioned into a renaissance
garden. In 1720 the site was reworked as a baroque
garden, setting the basic structure of today's garden, with the rococo Poppelsdorf Palace
completed in 1746 by Archbishop Clemens August. When the University of Bonn was founded in 1818, its first garden director, Dr. Christian Gottfried Daniel Nees von Esenbeck
(1776-1858), began to focus the garden on scientific botany
. By 1900 the garden was second only to Berlin
's within Germany, but it was utterly destroyed in World War II
. Reconstruction began after the war and was completed in 1979-1984 with the construction of two conservatories.
Today the garden cultivates about 8,000 plant species
, ranging from endangered local species from the Rhineland
such as Lady's Slipper Orchids to protected species such as Sophora toromiro from Easter Island
. Its outdoor gardens, containing about 3,000 species, are organized as follows:
The garden also contains about 0.5 hectares of greenhouse
area, including a major conservatory (2,500 m²) completed in 1984. Roughly 3,000 species are cultivated in public areas as follows:
Botanical garden
A botanical garden The terms botanic and botanical, and garden or gardens are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word botanic is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is a well-tended area displaying a wide range of plants labelled with their botanical names...
and arboretum
Arboretum
An arboretum in a narrow sense is a collection of trees only. Related collections include a fruticetum , and a viticetum, a collection of vines. More commonly, today, an arboretum is a botanical garden containing living collections of woody plants intended at least partly for scientific study...
maintained by the University of Bonn
University of Bonn
The University of Bonn is a public research university located in Bonn, Germany. Founded in its present form in 1818, as the linear successor of earlier academic institutions, the University of Bonn is today one of the leading universities in Germany. The University of Bonn offers a large number...
. It is located at Meckenheimer Allee 171, Bonn
Bonn
Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....
, North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, and open except Saturdays in the warmer months; admission is free on weekdays.
The gardens were originally castle grounds for the Archbishop of Cologne, dating to about 1340, which circa 1650 were fashioned into a renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
garden. In 1720 the site was reworked as a baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
garden, setting the basic structure of today's garden, with the rococo Poppelsdorf Palace
Poppelsdorf Palace
Poppelsdorf Palace is a Baroque palace style in the district Poppelsdorf of Bonn, western Germany. It was constructed from 1715 till 1746, under design by the Frenchman Robert de Cotte...
completed in 1746 by Archbishop Clemens August. When the University of Bonn was founded in 1818, its first garden director, Dr. Christian Gottfried Daniel Nees von Esenbeck
Christian Gottfried Daniel Nees von Esenbeck
Christian Gottfried Daniel Nees von Esenbeck was a prolific German botanist, physician, zoologist, and natural philosopher. He was a contemporary of Goethe and was born within the lifetime of Linnaeus. He described approximately 7,000 plant species...
(1776-1858), began to focus the garden on scientific botany
Botany
Botany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...
. By 1900 the garden was second only to Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
's within Germany, but it was utterly destroyed in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Reconstruction began after the war and was completed in 1979-1984 with the construction of two conservatories.
Today the garden cultivates about 8,000 plant species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
, ranging from endangered local species from the Rhineland
Rhineland
Historically, the Rhinelands refers to a loosely-defined region embracing the land on either bank of the River Rhine in central Europe....
such as Lady's Slipper Orchids to protected species such as Sophora toromiro from Easter Island
Easter Island
Easter Island is a Polynesian island in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, at the southeasternmost point of the Polynesian triangle. A special territory of Chile that was annexed in 1888, Easter Island is famous for its 887 extant monumental statues, called moai, created by the early Rapanui people...
. Its outdoor gardens, containing about 3,000 species, are organized as follows:
- Arboretum - 700 species of woody plants, including fine specimens of Araucaria araucanaAraucaria araucanaAraucaria araucana is an evergreen tree growing to tall with a trunk diameter. The tree is native to central and southern Chile, western Argentina and south Brazil. Araucaria araucana is the hardiest species in the conifer genus Araucaria...
, Ginkgo biloba, NyssaNyssaNyssa may refer to:* the genus name for the tupelo tree* Nyssa , a female name** Nyssa , a companion of the Fourth and Fifth Doctors in the long-running British science fiction series Doctor Who...
, Pinus bungeanaPinus bungeanaPinus bungeana is a pine tree native to northeastern and central China. It is a slow-growing tree to 15-25 m tall...
, and TorreyaTorreyaTorreya is a genus of conifers comprising five or six species, treated in either the Cephalotaxaceae, or in the Taxaceae when that family is considered in a broad sense. Four are native to eastern Asia; the other two are native to North America. They are small to medium-sized evergreen trees...
, as well as old specimens of Taxodium distichumTaxodium distichumTaxodium distichum is a species of conifer native to the southeastern United States.-Characteristics:...
.
- Systematic section - about 1,200 species arranged in beds reflecting their evolutionary relationships; notable specimens include Passiflora caeruleaPassiflora caeruleaPassiflora caerulea, commonly known as the Blue Passion Flower or the Common Passion Flower, is a vine native to South America...
, Trachycarpus fortuneiTrachycarpus fortuneiTrachycarpus fortunei is a palm native to central China , south to northern Burma. It is a fan palm Trachycarpus fortunei (Chusan Palm, Windmill Palm or Chinese Windmill Palm; syn. Chamaerops fortunei Hook., T. wagnerianus Becc.) is a palm native to central China (Hubei southwards), south to...
, and Umbellularia californica.
- Geographical section - plants grouped by geographical origin.
- Biotope section - the most important locally occurring plant communities, including endangered speciesEndangered speciesAn endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
from the Bonn region.
The garden also contains about 0.5 hectares of greenhouse
Greenhouse
A greenhouse is a building in which plants are grown. These structures range in size from small sheds to very large buildings...
area, including a major conservatory (2,500 m²) completed in 1984. Roughly 3,000 species are cultivated in public areas as follows:
- Fern house - tree ferns and other indigenous plants from cool cloud forests on tropical mountains.
- Mediterranean house - winter shelter for subtropical plants from the Mediterranean, South AfricaSouth AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, and AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
- Palm house - epiphytes and large rain forest plants such as bananaBananaBanana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red....
s and bambooBambooBamboo is a group of perennial evergreens in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family....
s.
- Succulent house - Succulents including new world cactiCactusA cactus is a member of the plant family Cactaceae. Their distinctive appearance is a result of adaptations to conserve water in dry and/or hot environments. In most species, the stem has evolved to become photosynthetic and succulent, while the leaves have evolved into spines...
and agaveAgaveAgave is a genus of monocots. The plants are perennial, but each rosette flowers once and then dies ; they are commonly known as the century plant....
s, and old world AloeAloeAloe , also Aloë, is a genus containing about 500 species of flowering succulent plants. The most common and well known of these is Aloe vera, or "true aloe"....
s and Euphorbias, including Welwitschia mirabilis.
- Victoria house - giant water lily (Victoria regia), NymphaeaNymphaeaNymphaea is a genus of aquatic plants in the family Nymphaeaceae. There are about 50 species in the genus, which has a cosmopolitan distribution.-Name:The common name, shared with some other genera in the same family, is Water Lily....
, AristolochiaAristolochiaAristolochia is a large plant genus with over 500 species. Collectively known as birthworts, pipevines or Dutchman's pipes, they are the namesake of the family . They are widespread and occur in the most diverse climates. Some species, like A. utriformis and A...
and Passiflora, tropical bogBogA bog, quagmire or mire is a wetland that accumulates acidic peat, a deposit of dead plant material—often mosses or, in Arctic climates, lichens....
plants, and a fine specimen of Amorphophallus titanum.
- Smaller houses including a carnivorous plantCarnivorous plantCarnivorous plants are plants that derive some or most of their nutrients from trapping and consuming animals or protozoans, typically insects and other arthropods. Carnivorous plants appear adapted to grow in places where the soil is thin or poor in nutrients, especially nitrogen, such as acidic...
house, geophyte house, and two orchid houses.
See also
- Arboretum Park HärleArboretum Park HärleThe Arboretum Park Härle is a nonprofit arboretum located on the slopes of the Rhine Valley between Bonn and the Seven Mountains at Büchelstraße 40, Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany...
- List of botanical gardens in Germany