Author: Robyn DrinkwaterPage 8 of 33
Whilst the tropical plants in this house may be unfamiliar, the products produced from them are part of your daily life.
Get transported back through time to when dinosaurs ruled the earth. The ferns, horsetails, mosses, liverworts and conifers on display in this house are among the most ancient groups of plants having been around for over 350 million years.
Here you will find plants from the opposite ends of the evolutionary scale. At the one end we have the primitive cycads, whilst at the other are orchids, some of the most sophisticated groups of plants.
This is the oldest of the glasshouses, built in 1834, at the time it was largest of its kind in Britain.
The temperate palm house was built in 1858 by Robert Matheson with a grant of £6,000 from Parliament. At 21.95m (72ft) tall this is the tallest glasshouse in the UK, and is one of the tallest classic palm houses in the world.
We have recently databased and imaged selected genera of British Algae held in the herbarium as part of a project run by the Natural History Museum, London. The…
Not all deciduous leaf, autumn colours are fiery shades. The foliage on the Euonymus sieboldianus growing in the glasshouse border is virtually translucent. Just as rewarding in the…
The Queen Mother’s Memorial Garden, designed by architect Lachlan Stewart, was opened in July 2006 by members of the Royal Family including Her Majesty The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh and The Duke and Duchess of Rothesay.
The fossil of Pitys withamii was found at Craigleith Quarry between 1835 and 1865, where it would have formed part of the swamp forests which occurred in this area 320-340 million years ago.
The plants on this terrace represent one of the largest collections of cultivated Chilean plants, many of which have been collected by members of staff from RBGE during expeditions to Chile.
This area of the garden is planted with native species which were, and still are, used by Scots. Not all of them are still used today, as unfortunately some uses have passed out of memory. Others are still used to produce popular foods, drinks and other products.
Since 1956 RBGE has been an official weather station for the Meteorological Office, with observations being made at 9am everyday.
The study of recurring seasonal events, such as flowering and leaf-fall in plants, or hibernation in animals, is known as phenology.
The Botanics captures the imagination of everyone who visits and is world renowned for its horticultural excellence. Over 70 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds provide a tranquil haven just one mile from the city centre.
With leaves dropping, now is the time to consider planting deciduous material. When choosing a site it is recommended to research the growing conditions in the native habitat…
The aspen is native throughout the cool and temperate regions of Europe and Asia, and has the most northerly distribution of those trees native to Scotland, occurring in Shetland out of the way of grazing animals.
The lime is native across much of Europe and into western Asia. In Britain it is thought to be native up into northern England, with populations further north introduced.
The Scots Pine is one of the most wide spread pine species, with a range extending from north China to western Scotland.
The rowan is also known as the mountain ash, as its leaves resemble those of ash (Fraxinus excelsior). It is found throughout most of Europe, parts of Asia and northern Africa.
Juniper is a shrubby conifer, with a wide range throughout the cooler regions of the northern hemisphere.