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New splendor for the Botanical Garden: greenhouses for desert plants opened!
Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz opens modern greenhouses to promote plant sciences and education.
New splendor for the Botanical Garden: greenhouses for desert plants opened!
On April 11, 2025, the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) will open an impressive innovation in the botanical garden: two modern display greenhouses for desert plants have already been inaugurated. This measure marks the completion of the first construction phase to renew the greenhouses, which is intended not only to support university teaching, but also public educational offerings in the field of plant sciences. This is reported by the JGU press.
The new building not only promotes the attractive presentation of the plants, but is also a step towards energy efficiency. With a total volume of 3.1 million euros, which was financed entirely from state funds, the botanical garden is being prepared for the future. Moving the plants posed a logistical challenge. A remarkable anecdote tells of a large Argentine cactus that was lifted out of the old greenhouse with a crane. Meanwhile, plants from the Canary Islands were prepared for their new location in a special nursery near Stuttgart.
Modern technology and ecological responsibility
The new greenhouses are equipped with ecological control technology that includes integrated facade heating and controllable ventilation flaps. These technological innovations are part of the planned complete renovation of all greenhouses in the Botanical Garden in the coming years. In addition, the construction of an underground rainwater cistern with a capacity of 2,400 cubic meters is planned.
The Botanical Garden attracts over 5,000 visitors every year, two thirds of whom are children and young people who take part in various educational opportunities. In this context, the garden is described as an important educational place and meeting space. Prof. Dr. Meret Huber, the director of the Botanical Garden, emphasizes the need to promote interest in plants. The new greenhouses are intended to play a key role in the educational mission and in the protection of botanical diversity.
Succulents and their adaptations
A significant part of the new greenhouses is devoted to succulents - plants that are able to store water in special organs. The University of Marburg highlights that the succulent house features plants from different climates, including Mexico, South Africa, Madagascar and South America. These plants are specialized in developing water tissue that is stored either in leaves, roots or stems.
In addition, it clarifies University of Potsdam, that many of these plants have a compact shape and special metabolic abilities, which allow them to survive dry periods. Some succulents, such as the aloe species and the candlestick flower, have unique adaptations that allow them to store and use water efficiently. Their ability to absorb carbon dioxide for photosynthesis at night minimizes water loss, which is critical in maintaining their way of life in extreme climates.
The news about the renovation of the greenhouses and the construction of the succulent house promises not only advances in research, but also a growing contribution to the education and protection of plant diversity.