Bit­ter sub­stan­ces in plants

Sniff the tropical air? Marvel at the strange plants of the tropical belt? Breathe in the scents of the Mediterranean? Admire blooming alpine roses? The travel agency that takes you to these holiday destinations is called the Botanical Garden of the University of Zurich. Risk and travel costs are low, and the guides speak your language. As in all foreign worlds, you need almost all your senses to experience the unknown or simply to be able to enjoy it. In the Botanical Garden you can discover plants from all parts of the world, medicinal, dyeing and food plants. In addition, the three tropical houses - Tropical Dry Areas, Tropical Lowland Rainforest and Mountain Forest - offer a colorful and fragrant variety - even in winter. The greatest contrast to our winter flora is the "Lowland Tropical House", where at 24 degrees Celsius and high humidity you can find a colorful and lush plant splendor: vanilla, manioc or cocoa. With a bit of luck you will hear the whistling frogs singing. You can also climb a giant tree and view the abundance from a lofty height. In the "Tropical Dry Areas" house you will come across spiky creatures from all over the world, as well as crops such as the frankincense tree, jojoba or caper bush. In a display case at a comfortable viewing height you can also watch carnivorous plants digesting their prey. There is also a rarity in it: the Welwitschia from the Namib Desert. In the third tropical house, "Mountain Forest", you will find a collection of plants that have evolved from the earliest times, as well as a number of red-flowering species that are pollinated by birds in their native habitat. A real mimosa is waiting to be touched.