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Conservatory Flowers and Fruit Tour

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The Boettcher Memorial Tropical Conservatory houses plants from tropical regions from around the world. Over 750 unique taxa (types of plants) are grown in the 11,000 square foot conservatory that first opened in 1966. Many of these plants have ethnobotanical purposes in their native region. Popular food plants, such as chocolate (Theobroma cacao), papaya (Carica papaya), bananas (Musa spp.), vanilla orchid (Vanilla planifolia and imperialis) and strawberry guava (Psidium spp.) flower and fruit in the conservatory. The conservatory and the adjacent Marnie's Pavilion also house a palm and bromeliad collection. You can also view more tropical specimens via the Orangery windows into the collection greenhouses.

Tour updated January 14, 2025

Theobroma cacao (Cacao)

The chocolate tree is in flower and fruit almost year-round. The fruit are ripe when they turn yellow.

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Kerriodoxa elegans (White Elephant Palm)

palm tree

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Dichorisandra thyrsiflora (Blue Ginger)

dark purple flowers

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Calliandra haematocephala (Red Powderpuff)

bright red powderpuff flowers on tree

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Norantea guianensis (Red Hot Poker Vine)

orange flower spikes at top of banyan tree, best viewed from upper balcony or path by lower main entrance

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Hamelia patens (Scarlet Bush)

bright orange-red tubular flower clusters in canopy

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Clerodendrum × speciosum (Java Glory Bean)

bright red flowers cover this woody vine

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Ixora 'Nora Grant'

look for bright tropical-pink flowers clusters on this small tree

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Cochliostema velutinum

purple flowers

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Clerodendrum quadriloculare (Glory Bower Shrub)

long tubular white flower clusters

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Carica papaya unknown cultivar (Papaya)

pale yellow flowers and green fruit turn orange when ripe

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Freycinetia cumingiana

orange conical buds open to show triangular shaped floral parts

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Begonia coccinea 'Pink Shasta' (Angel Wing Begonia)

many clusters of medium-pink flowers

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Ravenala madagascariensis (Traveler's Tree)

look at the size of the individual leaves on this tall relative of bird-of-paradise

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Acalypha hispida (Chenille Plant)

long bright pink fuzzy flower structures

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Euphorbia punicea (Vegetable Leather)

relative of poinsettia with bright orange bracts

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