Saving Gorillas Through the Power of Plants

The following posts were created by dedicated and passionate volunteers and staff of Denver Botanic Gardens.  Please enjoy reading their stories and experiences about why the Gardens holds a special place in their hearts.

MIRACLE PLANT HOLDS A RICH HISTORY
By Nick Snakenberg

Tucked away in the southwest corner of the Boettcher Memorial Tropical Conservatory, Aframomum melegueta is a rather unassuming plant. Most visitors are distracted by the showier bananas and papayas growing nearby, but this member of the ginger family has a story that may outshine its subtle appearance.

Aframomum melegueta, also known as Grains of Paradise, is a native of lowland areas of tropical West Africa. Before the spice roads from the Mid-East introduced a broader range of cooking spices, Aframomum was a staple for cooking, often being used as we now use black pepper. While its popularity as a spice has faded, there has been a recent resurgence in its use, not only in cooking, but as a flavoring in beer. In addition to its culinary uses, Aframomum is also locally known for its medicinal properties, being used to treat inflammations and infections. It also just happens to be a major component in the diet of the Western Lowland Gorilla.

When horticulturists at the Denver Zoo learned that we were growing Aframomum at Denver Botanic Gardens, they were anxious to get their hands on some. It seems that captive gorillas often suffer from an unexplained heart condition and by adding more plants from their native habitats, especially Aframomum melegueta, the condition seems to go away. We gladly shared plants with the Denver Zoo, but our sharing didn’t stop there.
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Return of the native! Gary Davis presents…

Gary Davis and hibiscus (he's the one below)

Gary Davis is well known to members and staff of Denver Botanic Gardens–he was employed here for over a quarter century, overseeing the greenhouse collections for much of that time. He is as close to “native” to the Gardens as anyone, and the Colorado Cactus and Succulent Society is excited to have been the first to lure him back for a presentation on “Succulents in the City.” He has worked in the City Greenhouses and now with Denver Zoo, where he curates
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Where Have All The Orchids Gone?

Many visitors to the Boettcher Memorial Tropical Conservatory have been asking me, “Where are the orchids?”  Well, there are still many around the Boettcher Tropical Conservatory, and in just a few months,
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Why Cut A Tree In Half?

Over the last few months, visitors to the Boettcher Memorial Tropical Conservatory may have noticed some funny looking trees that look like they were cut in half…well, they have been. Growing plants in the Boettcher Tropical Conservatory presents many challenges such as
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Fresh New Planting in the Boettcher Memorial Tropical Conservatory

Medinilla magnifica

If you haven’t been able to swing in and check out the Boettcher Tropical Conservatory in the last couple of weeks, now is a great time. We have just recently finished
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Let’s Talk Tropics

What makes a tropical plant a tropical plant? This is a question I have been asked several times, and it may sound like it’s an easy one to answer, and sometimes it is, but today, I’m going to dive a little deeper. It would be easy for me to just say, “A tropical plant is any plant
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Bold, Beautiful Brownea

Brownea ariza

This time of year, while rather bleak and cold outside, really gets me excited for what’s growing on in the Boettcher Memorial Tropical Conservatory. As I was watering this morning, I could not take my eyes off
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An American Celebration!

Vriesea fosteriana 'Red Chestnut'

In July of this year, the Biennial of the Americas will be occurring here in Denver. It is a celebration of art, culture, and the Western Hemisphere in general. So this got me to thinking,
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