Collections
At present, about 14,000 plant species are cultivated in the Botanical Gardens in Heidelberg – of which 90% are grown inside greenhouses. Among these the following 11 special collections are of prominent importance:
tropical orchids)
- Old World succulents (except Madagascar)
- Succulents of Madagascar
- New World succulents
- Tropical orchids
- Bromeliaceae (bromeliads)
- Cycadaceae (palmferns)
- Tropical ferns
- Aristolochiaceae (birthworts)
- Cyclanthaceae (panama-hat family)
- Mediterranean geophytes
- Brassicaceae germplasm and living collection
Of special value are the collections of succulents, orchids, and bromeliads obtained from their native habitats on countless and adventurous expeditions by the late Professor Dr. Werner Rauh during the three decades from 1965 to 1995 into tropical, subtropical and arid regions of the Americas, Asia, and Africa. Because of the progressive destruction of their natural habitats, many of these plant species are now endangered or have become extinct. The 10,000 species of these special collections are the most extensive of their kind in Germany – the special Madagascar succulent collection being the most prominent of entire Europe.
These unique plant collections have been the object of scientific botanical studies for more than three decades. Today they are under the special auspices of the Administrative District Governmental Department at Karlsruhe, Germany under an endangered species conservation program, also serving research and public educational purposes.
The collections are well maintained, all plants identified by name tags, and each plant systematically registered in a modern database (by origin, propagation, habitat, geographical distribution).
