Did you ever want to be one of those people who got to witness the beauty of plants from different regions of the world? Well, greenhouses spread across the world give you just that and much more. With conditions that are tailored to host-specific species collected from certain parts of the world, this becomes a precious space for a variety of plant collections, providing grounds for studying their various properties. So, let’s dive into knowing more about some of the best and largest greenhouses in the world. But first, let’s go into detail about what is a greenhouse and its history.
What is a Greenhouse?
In simple terms, a greenhouse or a garden greenhouse is a structure made of glass and metal built to house various plants and protect them from harsh or unsuitable growing conditions. In setting up a greenhouse, the key processes of an ecosystem of plants are controlled for optimum growth. By providing these structures, one can provide a customized thriving environment inside for the specific plants to grow. This can be stated as one of the advantages of a greenhouse.
The size of the structure can range from the smallest shed to a large, luxurious, palace-like structure. It can also be a small portable greenhouse that can be used to house a few plants or a small garden greenhouse that families own to grow their food. Thus, the types of greenhouses can differ according to where and how they are used.
The main flourishing period in greenhouse history can be said to be set during the 19th-century Victorian era in England. As glass and steel-framed structures were being widely built for railway stations, exhibition halls, markets, etc. They were the most prominent elements of construction. It was then used to build some of the best greenhouses that were huge enough to house tall trees. These were called “palm houses” because of their size, and the Palm House at Kew Gardens became a key example in showcasing the same.
The key greenhouse features to control the indoor conditions then were ventilation, heating and cooling methods, lighting, and carbon dioxide enrichment. Today, the key processes are improved by advanced technology, increasing the ease of maintenance. These create the ideal environment that can help each plant hosted under its roof to be well taken care of.
Now, let’s explore the 20 best greenhouses in the world.
20 Best Greenhouses Across the Globe
01. Eden Project at Cornwall, United Kingdom
This is the largest greenhouse in the world and is home to one million species of plants. The Eden Project is in Cornwall, UK. The Eden Project was conceived as a gigantic greenhouse complex, with two greenhouses, reflecting both a tropical and Mediterranean climate. The roughly four-acre dome’s tropical environment has rubber trees, bananas, and bamboo stalks towering above visitors. The Mediterranean biome is only 1.6 acres in size, yet it is densely packed with olive trees and grapevines.
The Eden Project is divided into three major biomes: the Mediterranean Biome, the Outdoor Biome, which is directly connected to the outside environment, and the Rainforest Biome, which has enough room to house the Tower of London. Aside from the thousands of tropical plant species, the Rainforest Biome is also considered the world’s largest artificial jungle, with a large waterfall. The climate is controlled by automated mist-making equipment that keeps the air moist-60% during the day and 90% after dark. The land is irrigated by underground pipes, and the waterfall maintains a high degree of atmospheric moisture while using recycled water.
Apart from Eden’s floral attractions, an educational facility called the Core was built in 2005, where the complex’s staff teaches environmental sustainability and works to improve humans’ relationship with nature.
02. Palmenhaus Schönbrunn at Schönbrunn Palace Park, Austria
Palmenhaus Schönbrunn is a large greenhouse in Vienna, Austria, with around 4500 plants. It is one of the four greenhouses situated at Schönbrunn Palace Park. Built under the rule of Emperor Franz Joseph, this 111m long, 28m wide, and 25m high glass structure holds a giant palm tree along with various other shrubs and trees. Once you enter the structure, you will be directly in the middle section. This region has a Mediterranean climate and a variety of plants that belong there. From there, you can either take the right or the left. Take a right and you will end up in the tropical section, while on the other side, the cold climate lies with its specimens.
The tropical section is the one to look out for, as it holds some of the more beautiful specimens of plants. From the plants with large leaves to the ones, we are more familiar with like the banana tree, fig tree, vanilla orchid, etc. The giant palm tree that is said to reside in the greenhouse is located right near the entrance to the central space. As the place is under the care of Federal Garden Services, there are chances that you will see colours in the form of pots standing to greet you. There are paths around the sides of the building that you shouldn’t miss. These host the smaller but deadly “flesh-eating” plants!
03. Royal Greenhouses of Laeken, Belgium
The Royal Greenhouses of Laeken are situated in the northern part of the city of Brussels, Belgium. When some of the best greenhouses in the world emerged, architect Alphonse Balat was asked to design one for King Leopold II. This greenhouse was to complement the castle with a similar manner of architecture, built with classical style inspiration. The spaces inside the outdoor greenhouse are not mere streets or spaces of glass, but a work of a specific kind of art that can be categorized under “Ideal Glass Palace”. The final layout of this structure was finalized after immense discussions between Ar. Alphonse and King Leopold II.
Beyond that, the Royal Greenhouses of Laeken stand as an influential piece of art that has shaped the Belgian architecture of the day. Its influence doesn’t stop at the city boundary; rather it takes shape even beyond it in the form of Art Nouveau throughout the world. Although the collection of plants inside is most of today, there are some from the original collection of King Leopold II that still exist. Regardless of that fact, it hosts some of the rarest and most valuable varieties of plants in existence. Every year, this greenhouse opens to the public for three weeks, as an age-old tradition that continues.
04. Jardin Botanique de Lyon, France
Being one of the largest public gardens in France, it hosts a wide range of plants in 11 different themed gardens. These gardens were created with inspiration drawn from 19th-century hot houses and hold plants from all over the world to be on display for the thousands who visit them every day. Spread across 117 hectares, it opens its gates to the public at no charge. First constructed in 1880, it underwent renovation in 2000 and 2020, after which it has been open to the public every day of the year.
The garden is divided mainly into three parts. The central portion is where the temperature drops below 18 degrees Celsius to host the plants that come from Africa, Australia, and South America. Moving forward, the more humid sections ahead host plants that are native to French overseas departments and territories. The third area is solely allocated to host camellias, as their beauty when they bloom is magnificent to behold. Among the glass houses, one was dedicated to hosting the famous Victoria Water Lily, built in a circular form. While another glasshouse is solely designed to host carnivorous plants.
05. Royal Botanical Gardens, United Kingdom
A culmination of work done by several renowned landscape architects, this botanical garden stands amid a series of parks and estates in the city of London and is one of the largest greenhouses in the world. It showcases aspects of garden design that range from the 18th to 20th centuries with a collection of botanical gardens that have been enriched throughout the centuries. Being a botanical garden, its contribution to the research and study of plants has also been immense.
Being the world’s leading scientific organization, it hosts the largest living collection of plants and fungi in an area of 330 acres, gaining a prestigious place on the World Heritage List in 2003. Founded by Princess Augusta in 1759, this place has been the haven for many rare and special specimens of plants that botanists have collected. Being the ground for global excellence in the study of plants and fungi, it has entered into partnerships with over 100 countries. This allows them to save seeds, and spark up conservation efforts while also identifying newer species. Hosting over 50,000 species of native and exotic plants and trees, it also paves the way for different activities for visitors, such as festivals, guided tours, and special exhibitions.
06. Tropicarium at Frankfurt’s Botanical Garden, Germany
A holistic experience of art, culture, wilderness, meadows, and water among the 22 hectares housing 13000 plant species, is what makes up the Tropicarium at Frankfurt’s Botanical Garden. Activities like guided tours, events, and exhibitions make it one of the most popular attractions throughout the year. As insects are an important part of ecology, this garden makes way to include their lifecycles and the role they play in a flower’s lifetime.
This space was initially used as a meeting area for the upper-middle-class, but it is now open to all. Apart from the wide range of plants it hosts, it is also known for its various cultural events, ranging from Jazz shows to opera, pop, electronic music, sound art, exhibitions, flower shows, etc.
07. Muttart Conservatory, Canada
The Muttart Conservatory is widely known in Edmonton and is home to plant species from three biomes, forming one of the best greenhouses. The conservatory is spread in the form of four pyramids, with a fifth minor one lighting up the foyer space. Among the four pyramids, two are 660 square meters, while the other two are 410 square meters. Three of these host plants belong to tropical, temperate, and arid regions, while the fourth one showcases plants according to the season and is displayed in an extravagant arrangement of ornamental flowering plants.
The temperate zone hosts plants from regions such as the Great Lakes, Australia, and mountainous areas of Asia. It is located near the entrance, where it is fed by a bog area that holds white water lilies. The woodland and alpine sections of the garden host several small flowering plants that open into a colourful spread during the spring. The tropical area hosts an enormous diversity of plant species that range from psalms, and bananas to weeping figs and orchids. It also hosts a small waterfall in the center for small fish and water lilies to grow. The arid region has plants from five continents. It features an Agave Americana plant that reaches a height of 30 feet.
08. Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, United States of America
Located in New York, the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory is considered one of the most magnificent glass houses of its time. Built in 1902, this structure undergoes constant improvements and renovation work every 20 years. The recent one was done to ensure that the palms collected from around the world remain intact under its roof. The design of the conservatory features elements inspired by the Palm House at the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew and the Crystal Palace by Joseph Paxton, with a collective influence of Italian Renaissance architecture.
Due to the need for constant upgrades and repairs, the original design could only be held intact until renovations took over in 1935 and 1950. During the 1935 renovations, elaborate decorations were removed to pave the way to help the structure from deterioration while bringing European Modernism to its aesthetic. The building features a series of 11 pavilions, all distinct in their form and connected by a design flow to the adjacent pavilion. They surround the central Palm Pavilion and are arranged in symmetry. There is a certain hierarchy followed as well, with the central pavilion housing the more detailed dome. Each pavilion is equipped to host a different region of the world and its species, thus bringing together a collection of a wide range of plants under one roof.
09. Berlin-Dahlem Botanical Garden and Botanical Museum, Germany
Set out to be created by Adolf Angler as ‘The World in a Garden,’ the Berlin Botanical Garden is one of the most renowned gardens that hosts a variety of 20000 flowering plant species spread across the site. Brought up between 1897 and 1910, this Green House spreads across an area of 43 hectares and is an impressive example of the intricately detailed glass and steel structure that represents the nineteenth-century art nouveau design.
With 14 outdoor greenhouses that surround it, the structure reaches a height of 25 meters. Each of these different greenhouses hosts a different region, thus displaying a wide variety of plants in that region. It also houses the 100-year-old greenhouse named after the famous water lily Victoria, The Viktoriahaus. It holds tropical marsh and water plants and is considered one of the jewels of this botanical garden.
10. Conservatory of Flowers, United States of America
The Conservatory of Flowers, located in Golden Gate Park, is a botanical garden and greenhouse with stunning Victorian-style architecture, built in 1878. It is the country’s oldest conservatory. It is composed of wood and glass, and it houses a massive collection of tropical flowers and plants from all over the world, organised into five distinct sections. Furthermore, it’s a well-designed space with decorative flooring, plenty of pitcher plants, and visible fountain sculptures.
The Flower Conservatory is well-known for its unusual and exotic plant collection. The complex has five galleries, each representing a different habitat, ranging from Sumatra’s tropics to Ecuador’s cloud forests. The Water Plants Gallery showcases water plants such as insectivorous lilies and lotuses. The Highland Tropics Gallery is designed to look like cloud forests on top of tropical highlands.
11. Royal Botanic Garden, Australia
The Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney, Australia, is a state-supported botanical garden. It is the country’s oldest such garden, having been officially founded in 1816. It is also the most magnificently located, occupying more than 27 hectares (66 acres) along Sydney Harbour’s shoreline. Around 5,000 different plant species are grown in the garden. Much attention has been placed on planting native Australian species, particularly woody ones, and as a result, its collection of Australian trees is extensive. On the other hand, many exotic kinds have been planted. Palms, cycads, ferns, and orchids are among the other specialties.
This sophisticated, arc-shaped greenhouse houses one of the largest “green walls” in the Southern Hemisphere, a living wall with over 18,000 plants, and frequent activities include horticultural expert talks, floral displays, and astronomy presentations. The National Herbarium of New South Wales, located in the garden, houses over a million reference specimens.
12. Lalbagh Botanical Garden, India
Hyder Ali, ruler of Mysore (1761-1782), who was noted for developing numerous exquisite gardens throughout his reign, commissioned the stunning Lalbagh Botanical Garden in Bengaluru in 1760. Later, in 1889, Prince Albert Victor constructed a glasshouse inspired by London’s opulent glass-and-steel Crystal Palace. It’s especially beautiful at night during the bi-annual flower exhibit when it glows golden.
The botanical garden is rich in native and exotic flora of diverse diversity, usage, and interest. Since its inception in 1760, this has been accomplished through the introduction, acclimatisation, and multiplication of plants collected from diverse regions of the world. Lalbagh now contains roughly 673 plant genera and 1,854 plant species. The plant collection has turned it into a true treasure house of flora. This is one of the best greenhouses in India.
13. Oslo Botanical Garden, Norway
The Oslo Botanical Garden, part of the University of Oslo Natural History Museum, is a green oasis in the heart of Norway’s capital, with over 5,500 plant species on its 6.5-hectare grounds. The Palm House dates to 1868 and traces the evolution of plants over millennia, and the Victoria House features water lilies and rainforest plants.
One of the more intriguing speciality gardens in Oslo’s botanical garden features ‘red-listed’ and ‘black-listed’ species. These are Norway’s endangered or almost extinct species. Many grow among mountain boulders and have a beauty we haven’t seen before.
14. Glasgow Botanical Garden, UK
Glasgow’s gardens, like Edinburgh’s, showcase a wide range of plants from around the world, with collections of herbs, tropical ferns, ornamental plants, and ponds nestled among the immaculately manicured lawns and flower beds. All of this is surrounded by hundreds of trees in a setting that begs to be explored. It houses one of the largest greenhouses in the world.
The magnificent Kibble Palace at Glasgow Botanic Gardens was not erected here. In truth, the greenhouse began life as a private conservatory at the home of eccentric industrialist John Kibble. It was painstakingly moved, rebuilt, and expanded at the Botanic Gardens in the early 1870s when it opened in 1873. The wrought iron-framed glasshouse now houses the Scottish National Collection of tree ferns, as well as temperate and tropical species.
15. Barbican Conservatory, United Kingdom
The Barbican Conservatory is only second in size to Kew’s famous Princess of Wales Conservatory. Despite this, it is one of the city’s least-known green spots. The two-tiered tropical garden is in the neighbourhood of London’s Barbican. The multi-story concrete terraces provide ideal window boxes for all kinds of plants. Among the biodiverse plants are fern trees, date palms, and Swiss cheese plants, as well as a big collection of succulents and cacti and ponds with koi, ghosts, and grass carp.
There are over 1500 different plant species living under the glass dome, as well as numerous tiny ponds with carp swimming in the isolated corners. There is also a turtle pool. Its occupants were rescued from the ponds on Hampstead Heath. The cactus collection, which includes hundreds of specimens, is equally spectacular.
16. Botanical Garden of Curitiba, Brazil
Surrounded by pristine lawns and flower beds, the Botanical Garden of Curitiba is at the centre of the southern Brazilian metropolis. Despite their Victorian appearance, the gardens were created in 1991 and were influenced by the landscaping at the Palace of Versailles. Tropical plants surround flowing waterfalls and ponds inside the Art Nouveau-style greenhouse, which is illuminated by extravagant chandeliers at night. This is considered one of the best greenhouses in the world.
The central element of the botanical garden is the greenhouse. It was created on the model of the famed Crystal Palace, constructed in Hyde Park in London for the World Exhibition in 1851 and destroyed by a fire. The graceful glass and metal structure blended in perfectly with the natural landscape and became Curitiba’s trademark. The greenhouse is only 458 m2 in size. It brings together rare and endangered plant species from throughout Brazil. Unlike other botanical gardens, this one focuses on native plants.
17. Adelaide Botanic Garden, Australia
The Adelaide Botanic Garden is a stunning botanical garden located in Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia. It is an important cultural, educational, and recreational destination that attracts both locals and tourists. The Adelaide Botanic Garden comprises several distinct gardens and features that showcase a diverse range of plant species from around the world. These include an international rose garden, a palm house, a bicentennial conservatory, Australian forests, and a Mediterranean garden.
The Palm House, built in Germany and delivered to Adelaide in 1875, is one of the primary attractions at the Adelaide Botanic Garden. With its stained-glass panels and hanging glass walls, the design was considered exceptionally avant-garde for its day. Its collection of Madagascan plants continues to captivate tourists. The Bicentennial Conservatory houses a tropical rainforest under its modern, curved roof.
18. Gardens by the Bay, Singapore
Gardens by the Bay in Singapore has a fantasy-like sense of awe. It is a beautiful artificial park located in the heart of Singapore. The park, which covers 101 hectares, is divided into numerous zones and contains a complex with two greenhouses. The Flower Dome, located on the Marina Bay Waterfront, is the world’s largest glass greenhouse. Under its domed ceiling, it supports a rainbow of blossoms, succulents, tall baobab trees, and even a 1,000-year-old olive tree. The Flower Dome is intended for plants from the Mediterranean and other areas with a mild, dry environment.
The Cloud Forest greenhouse is smaller than the Flower Dome (only 0.8 hectares), but it is more creatively designed. A rebuilt 42-meter-high mountain with a real waterfall cascades inside. Visitors ascend the hill via lift before descending a spiral trail to admire the unusual vegetation.
19. Montreal Botanical Garden, Canada
The Montreal Botanical Garden, known as Le Jardin botanique de Montréal in French, is a large botanical garden located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is one of the city’s most popular attractions and is recognized as one of the world’s largest botanical gardens.
The Montreal Botanical Garden, which spans more than 75 hectares (185 acres), is home to around 20,000 plant species and cultivars, as well as a herbarium containing nearly 100,000 reference specimens. The Montreal Botanical Garden has a collection of ten greenhouses, each showcasing specific ecosystems and plant collections. These include the Tropical Rainforest Greenhouse, Desert House, Orchid House, and Bonsai and Penjing Collections.
20. Kaisaniemi Botanic Garden, Finland
The Helsinki University Botanic Garden is Finland’s oldest scientific plant collection. The Garden was established in Turku in 1678 and relocated to Helsinki in 1829. The Kaisaniemi Botanic Garden in the heart of Helsinki is open all year, and the new garden at Kumpula (three kilometres north of the city centre) is open during the growing season.
The comparatively mild greenhouses at Kaisaniemi Botanic Garden are one of the city’s top attractions, providing a welcome respite from Helsinki’s frigid temperatures. There is a total of ten glasshouses, each with its distinct personality. The Water Lily Room features massive Santa Cruz water lilies, which often must be replanted in winter since they cannot tolerate Finland’s dark circumstances, and the Palm House has a large assortment of orchids.
Upcoming Largest Greenhouse in the World
Coldefy, a French architecture firm, has announced its next ambitious project: the world’s largest single-domed greenhouse. The massive energy-self-sufficient structure known as “Tropicalia,” which spans over 20,000 square metres (215,278 square feet), is scheduled to be finished in 2024 in France’s Cote d’Opale, or Opal Coast.
The construction is envisioned as a “bubble of harmony”. Tropicalia will be connected by a kilometer-long pathway that will connect a range of tropical landscapes rich in flora and fauna, as well as a thunderous 82-foot waterfall and an Olympic-size swimming pool filled with Amazonian fish.
Summary
These are the best greenhouses that preserve some rare varieties of plants in and around the world. It also becomes that one place where you can observe and learn more about them as well. Utilizing this aspect, many researchers visit these greenhouses to know more about the plants and continue their efforts in the same direction. In such a manner, these greenhouses stand as important centers that can teach us more about our surroundings and our planet.
Additional Read:
Green Homes: Step Towards Sustainable Home Developments!
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Author Bio
Saili Sawantt – She is an Architect and Interior Designer by profession. Writing is what she treats as her passion. She has worked as an Architectural Writer, Editor, and Journalist for various design as well as digital portals, both national and international. Formerly she has also worked with Godrej Properties Limited (GPL) Design Studio, Mumbai, due to her keen interested in learning about Sustainability and Green buildings. Apart from this, she runs her blog ‘The Reader’s Express’ and is a practicing Architect & Interior Designer.
