Botanischer Garten der TU Darmstadt
Encyclopedia
The Botanischer Garten der TU Darmstadt (4.5 hectares), also known as the Botanischer Garten Darmstadt, is a botanical garden
maintained by the Darmstadt University of Technology
. It is located at Schnittspahnstrasse 1 - 5, Darmstadt
, Hesse
, Germany
, and open daily without charge.
The garden dates to 1814 when Johannes Hess (1786-1837) proposed creating a botanical garden on newly acquired ground in front of castle Darmstädter. It contained primarily native, herbaceous plants in a scientific arrangement. Soon the site proved inadequate, and in 1829-1830 moved to the grounds of the Bosquett mansion, now the Herrngarten, where it remained until 1838, then moved again to a third location in the area of today's Mercksplatzes until 1848. It was then relocated to the area of Wilhelminenplatzes from 1849-1863, where plants were cultivated in two greenhouses. When the Neuen Palais was constructed on this site, the garden was moved again to a one-hectare leased plot in the Meiereipark on Frankfurter Straße. Today's site was finally acquired in 1874 at government expense. Under the direction of Leopold Dippel (1827–1914), a professor at the Technical University in the field of cells and tissue, the garden acquired a fine collection of exotic trees. It became affiliated with the Technical University of Darmstadt in 1897.
Today the garden contains some 9,000 plant species
, with a notable collection of rare trees in its arboretum
(1.5 hectares), as well as an alpine garden and heather
. It also contains an extensive collection of tropical and subtropical plants in its greenhouse
s (1200 m²), including tropical marsh
plants, cacti
, bromeliads, and orchids.
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...
maintained by the Darmstadt University of Technology
Darmstadt University of Technology
The Technische Universität Darmstadt, abbreviated TU Darmstadt, is a university in the city of Darmstadt, Germany...
. It is located at Schnittspahnstrasse 1 - 5, Darmstadt
Darmstadt
Darmstadt is a city in the Bundesland of Hesse in Germany, located in the southern part of the Rhine Main Area.The sandy soils in the Darmstadt area, ill-suited for agriculture in times before industrial fertilisation, prevented any larger settlement from developing, until the city became the seat...
, Hesse
Hesse
Hesse or Hessia is both a cultural region of Germany and the name of an individual German state.* The cultural region of Hesse includes both the State of Hesse and the area known as Rhenish Hesse in the neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate state...
, 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 daily without charge.
The garden dates to 1814 when Johannes Hess (1786-1837) proposed creating a botanical garden on newly acquired ground in front of castle Darmstädter. It contained primarily native, herbaceous plants in a scientific arrangement. Soon the site proved inadequate, and in 1829-1830 moved to the grounds of the Bosquett mansion, now the Herrngarten, where it remained until 1838, then moved again to a third location in the area of today's Mercksplatzes until 1848. It was then relocated to the area of Wilhelminenplatzes from 1849-1863, where plants were cultivated in two greenhouses. When the Neuen Palais was constructed on this site, the garden was moved again to a one-hectare leased plot in the Meiereipark on Frankfurter Straße. Today's site was finally acquired in 1874 at government expense. Under the direction of Leopold Dippel (1827–1914), a professor at the Technical University in the field of cells and tissue, the garden acquired a fine collection of exotic trees. It became affiliated with the Technical University of Darmstadt in 1897.
Today the garden contains some 9,000 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...
, with a notable collection of rare trees in its 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...
(1.5 hectares), as well as an alpine garden and heather
Calluna
Calluna vulgaris is the sole species in the genus Calluna in the family Ericaceae. It is a low-growing perennial shrub growing to tall, or rarely to and taller, and is found widely in Europe and Asia Minor on acidic soils in open sunny situations and in moderate shade...
. It also contains an extensive collection of tropical and subtropical plants in its greenhouse
Greenhouse
A greenhouse is a building in which plants are grown. These structures range in size from small sheds to very large buildings...
s (1200 m²), including tropical marsh
Marsh
In geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss....
plants, cacti
Cactus
A 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...
, bromeliads, and orchids.