Palm House Plant Life
Asia | Africa | Europe | Australasia | The Americas
African Plants
The central planted bed contains plants from the continent of Africa. The most prominent feature is the large date palm, a specimen of Phoenix canariensis, which is the only plant to have remained in the Palm House during the restoration process. This tree is probably at least 100 years old.
Several different types of Cycad can be seen in this bed, including the very spiny Encephalartos ferox. Cycads are very ancient, primitive cone-bearing plants, which thrived in the Jurassic Era even in Britain. Today, many species are endangered in the wild.
A very attractive plant which can be seen in the African Border is the Bird of Paradise Flower, Strelitzia reginae, with its striking orange and blue flowers. Its relative, Strelitzia nicolai, grows much taller and has white and blue flowers. Both plants featured in the original plantings in the Palm House a hundred years ago.
Growing in the centre of the African Border is Schefflera venulosa, a very large relative of the familiar house plant. It is sometimes called the Umbrella Tree because the leaves are arranged like the spokes of an umbrella.
Another large plant which can be seen in the African Border is Ficus artocarpoides, a member of the fig family. Figs bear their flowers inside what appear to be the fruiting bodies.
See more botanical ilustrations in the Palm House Collectables
- Chamaerops humilis
- Clivia miniata
- Clivia nobilis
- Dracaena marginata
- Encephalartos ferox
- Ficus spp.
- Phoenix spp (illustrated)
- Plumbago capensis
- Ravenala Madagascariensis
- Strelitzia reginae
- Strelizia nicolai
Watercolour, artist unknown, 1806
Species in bold print were used in the original planting
