The Tropical Pavilion in the Brooklyn Botanical Garden, Nov. 2006

Steinhardt Conservatory: Tropical Pavilion

The largest pavilion of the conservatory, the Tropical Pavilion—6,000 square feet under glass—soars to a height of 65 feet to accommodate the tallest trees. It recreates a tropical forest, including waterfalls and streams.

The main tropical regions of the world are represented here: the Amazon basin, African rainforest, and tropical eastern Asia. The rock work includes lava and basalt.

Perhaps the earliest American botanic garden to organize its tropical forest display in terms of economic uses of plants, BBG continues this tradition in the Tropical Pavilion. Plantings are arranged to represent the categories of fragrance, food, medicine, and industry, with ornamental plants through the house. For example:

Plants used in pharmaceuticals and medicines: rosy periwinkle

Plants used as foods, beverages, and spices: mango, banana, breadfruit, coffee, cola, vanilla, cinnamon, chocolate, papaya, star fruit, and sugar apple

Plants used by industry, e.g., those used for waxes and lumber: latex and gum plants, and mahogany

Plants used for fragrance: jasmine and gardenia

A number of economically important plants are less well known to the general public but are familiar to specific ethnic groups in the community. For example, the genipe is well known to Spanish-speaking people, and the fragrant flowers of jasmine are popular with Chinese visitors.

Also emphasized in the Tropical Pavilion is the need to be aware of the continued destruction of the tropical forest, which in human terms results in the elimination of potentially valuable plants that can provide food or medicines.

Text from: www.bbg.org/exp/stroll/conservatory_tropical.html