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University of Warsaw Botanic Garden

The Botanic Garden is a part of the Department of Biology at the University of Warsaw. It was established in 1818 on the grounds of the former Royal Gardens. It is located in the heart of Warsaw, in Aleje Ujazdowskie Street, south from the Ujazdowski Castle [] and north from Belweder Palace [] and Fryderyk Chopin monument in Royal Łazienki Park[]. Having an area of 5,16 hectares it is a rather small and cozy garden. Being set in the city center the garden fulfills not only educational and touristic functions, but also it is a shelter for many invertebrates and vertebrates species. It contributes highly to richness of Warsaw's fauna species. Thanks to the diverse composition of plant species, it is an important feeding and breeding place for many birds and insects living in the city.

A leaf of maidenhair tree (Ginkgo biloba L.)[] stands as a symbol of the Garden. An almost 200-year-old maidenhair tree grows near the main entrance, located in front of The Astronomical Observatory.





There is a cornerstone of the |The National Temple of Divine Providence located on the Garden’s grounds. The Temple was meant by Stanislav August Poniatowski - the last king of Poland - to be the sign of thanksgiving for the Constitution of May 3rd, 1791. Every year, on the anniversary of the proclamation of The Constitution, a small celebration is led near the monument.

Main goals of the Botanic Garden (derived from the International Agenda for Botanic Gardens in Conservation (IABGC) ) are: biodiversity conservation and research (also through the implementation of such international conventions as: CBD, CITES), education and protection of the biocultural heritage. As a member of the global network BGCI (Botanical Gardens Conservation International) University of Warsaw Botanic Garden takes part in many activities, such as educational congresses or, improvement of education tools for visitors etc.

=Location=

E 21°1’49” N 52°13’15”; altitude 110,4

Climate
Due to its location the Garden has a milder climate than what is typical for Warsaw valley. It is warmer and drier, with an average vegetation period of 210 days. Annual rainfall, average for the years 1946-1996 (when the meteorological station worked in the Garden), is 573 mm.

=History=

The history of the Garden reflects the difficult history of this part of the city.

1818 – The garden was established. At that time it had an area of 22,5 hectares and was divided into three parts. Only one of them was opened to the public, while the other two - the plant systematics beds and the pomological collection - were dedicated to the specialists’ use (research and professional education).

1824 – The booklet "The List of Plants of the Royal Warsaw University Botanic Garden" ["Spis roślin Ogrodu Botanicznego Królewskiego - Warszawskiego Uniwersytetu"] was published. It stated that till that year, the first director and the garden establisher professor Michał Szubert, together with his collaborators, had been able to collect 10000 species and varieties of plants including 1000 species of native plants.

1834 – As a result of the Czar's repressions on the University of Warsaw, after The November Resurrection, the area of the Garden was diminished to 5,16 hectares. It was a beginning of a very difficult period in the Garden’s history. At that time it was governed by Czar's administrators who did not have a proper education for leading such an institution. The role of the garden in the academic world was diminishing rapidly. Flower beds laid uncultivated.

1916 – The Garden was again governed by the University of Warsaw and started regaining its significance as a research institution.

1939 – During the September Campaigna few of the glasshouses were destroyed. During the first years of the Nazi occupation the Botanic Garden still performed its educational function.

1942 – The Garden lost its educational and scientific functions. All the researchers were expelled from the Garden. The Garden itself was incorporated into the Royal Łazienki Park and closed to Polish public.

1944 – During the Warsaw Uprising plants' collections were almost completely devastated. Growing near systematics beds, European Black Pine (Pinus nigra) is said to owe its interesting umbrella-like shape to the injury sustained during the Warsaw Uprising.

1946 – The first (after WW II) list of seeds or Index seminum of 447 species was published.

1965 – The Garden was registered as a heritage site.

=Plant Collections=

Although the Garden is modernizing very fast and the research as well as educational activities are, by no means outdated, the rich history of this place is reflected in the landscape architecture. The most outstanding examples are: plant systematics section - showing historical systematic system by Engler; medicinal plants' collection – resembling a medieval monastic herb garden hortus conclusus; and the rose garden (Rosarium).



Focused on the biocultural heritage protection, the home gardens' plants collection from Kurpie has been established in the Garden. In the last 20 years the collection of historic and rare varieties of trees was established. Many of the varieties gathered there are of Polish origin. Acer pseudoplatanus ‘Foliis Atropurpureis Argenteovariegatis, Alnus incana ‘Foliis Aureomarginatis’ and Robinia pseudoacacia ‘Rozynskiana’ serve as good examples of such varieties from the collection mentioned. The reason for establishing such a collection is not merely sentimental. Conserving that kind of genetic resource contributes to biocultural heritage protection. Old varieties are not only often better adapted to the local conditions (frost, precipitation, pests etc), but also, in many cases, are deeply embedded in local culture.



Glasshouses – history and collections

The oldest glasshouse called "trephaus" used to be the King’s orangery - the source of exotic fruits for the royal table. Nowadays, there are Mediterranean plants and cacti collections. Two other glasshouses have been modernized recently. They serve for tropical and subtropical plants' collections. A part of subtropical glasshouse is dedicated to tropical economic plants, such as cocoa (Theobroma cacao), ginger (Zingiber officinale) and kapok tree (Ceiba pentandra), the latter was previously used for making life vests and now it serves, for example, as a filling for teddy bears. Presence of such plants is important especially for educational purposes. It gives visitors a link between plant parts they might find on their plates or in their surroundings and the plant itself, its environment etc. Knowing the plant, understanding environmental constraints as well as establishing an emotional attachment to the plant facilitate convincing people to environment conservation goals. Economic plants are usually very interesting for visitors, since they have some imagination and basic knowledge about them.

Some plants from the Gardens collection
April – Common Butterbur (Petasites hybridus), a medicinal plant native to Poland. In early spring pink inflorescence emerges from soil and short after it begins to wilt big green leaves start to grow.

May – Voss's Laburnum (Laburnum × watereri) impressive yellow inflorescence, swinging in early summer wind.

June – Maidenhair Tree (Ginkgo biloba L.) its leaf is the symbol of the Garden, an important ornamental and economic plant (edible, medicinal).

July – Gladiolus imbricatus native rare gladiolus growing in lowland Poland.

August – Devil's-bit Scabious (Succisa pratensis) Polish native plant with nice violet flowers. In many languages the name of Devil's-bit is connected to a devil. It comes from the medieval Latin name morsus diaboli, meaning the mouthful of the devil. One of the versions of Europe-wide known medieval story goes like that: the plant was a great cure for plague. Once upon a time a devil wanting to harm people had bitten plants roots. He hoped that the plant will wither and die. He was mistaken. God helped the plant to grow despite the injury. But till now Devil's-bit Scabious has signs of being injured on its roots. Its short roots look like if they have been cut.

September – Blue Sausage Fruit (Dicaisnea fargesii) has edible pods in an interesting bright blue colour.

October – Dawn redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides) thought to be extinct and till 1946 found only as fossils. Redwood in the University of Warsaw Botanic Garden was planted from the first part of seeds sent to Europe from China.

=Research=

Main research topics:

Pollination ecology;

Plants’ taxonomy (especially Apiaceae family);

In-situ conservation of Polish endangered and protected species;

Ethnobotanical and floristic research.



=Education=

Main types of educational activities in the Garden:

For general public:

Workshops for school children - enriching school curricula and giving a possibility for hands-on learning;

Interpretive signs - designed to enable self-education for individual visitors;

Main educational events through the year: “Carnivorous Plants Exhibition”, “Cacti Exhibition”, “Orchids Exhibition”, “Roses Festival”, “Plants, Insects and Honey”.

For professionals:

CITES implementation workshops for customs officers;

Biology teachers trainings in plant-based education.

=References=

=External links=

University of Warsaw Botanic Garden http://www.garden.uw.edu.pl

University of Warsaw http://www.uw.edu.pl

University of Warsaw Biology Department http://www.biol.uw.edu.pl

Botanic Gardens Conservation International http://www.bgci.org

International Agenda for Botanic Gardens in Conservation (IABGC) http://www.mabotkertek.hu/koncepcio/interagendaeng2580.pdf

Redefining the Role of Botanic Gardens - Towards a New Social Purpose http://www.bgci.org/files/Worldwide/Education/Social_inclusion/social%20inclusion%20report.pdf

last updated 17 Jan. 2011 04:19