Victoria House

In the Victoria House (House 3), a wide variety of green climbing plants, pitcher plants and creepers flourish in the summer months, making the tropical illusion almost perfect.

The enormous circular leaves of the two giant water lily species Victoria amazonica and V. cruziana float in the middle of the Victoria House and dominate the water basin enclosed by a curved edge, which at 18 meters long and nine meters wide occupies the central part of the house. The circular leaves of the giant water lilies themselves reach a diameter of almost two meters. They lie flat on the water, have an upturned fringe and a network of strong, spiny and air-filled ribs on the underside. A toddler can easily sit on one leaf.
Equally impressive as the giant water lily leaves are the circular, somewhat depressed central leaves of the lotus flower (Nelumbo) raised on long stalks, which water beads off without wetting them. When entering the Victoria House, one also notices the pitcher plants (Nepenthes) hanging down from above. They belong to the carnivorous plants.

The Victoria House in winter

At the end of September, the Victoria House is converted for the winter months. The water is drained and plants that have spent the summer outdoors but cannot tolerate frost move into the Victoria House for the winter. These are mainly woody plants from regions with a warm, mild winter climate, as is the case in the Mediterranean region, South Africa and southern Australia, or in central Chile.

Foto Headerbild: Max Winkler