IN THE GARDEN
HEAT AND HUMIDITY The Tropical Houses at the Botanic Garden (pictured) let you get up close and personal with these exotic plants
© HOWARD RICE
I have always had a love of plants and gardens, but despite developing a familiarity with common garden plants as a youngster, nothing prepared me for my first encounters with tropical plants in the Palm House at Kew Gardens and the Tropical Houses at Cambridge University Botanic Garden. The plants were alien to me, with enormous leaves and exotic blooms, all growing in warm, humid conditions. The blend of plants and tropical atmosphere created an intimate environment, and I was mesmerised by the lush foliage of the Asian taro ( Colocasia esculenta ), Colombian black-gold philodendron ( Philodendron melanochrysum ) and cocoa ( Theobroma cacao ). Seeing such diverse, lush vegetation was mind-blowing! Where do tropical plants come from? Originating from equatorial tropical rainforests of South America, Central America, Central Africa and South-East Asia, tropical plants have evolved to survive – and even thrive – in hot, humid conditions. Tropical rainforests are made up of distinct plant layers, with the highest formed of slender-stemmed emergent trees that can reach 60m in height and tower above the rainforest. Beneath these sits a dense canopy of shorter trees up to 40m high, which create a rich habitat
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