Bulbs and tubers
The Botanical Garden has for many years specialised in plants with bulbs or tubers, collected all over the world. Nowadays we have a very large and valuable collection that is continually growing thanks to seed exchanges and new collection trips.
You will find many of these rare beauties in the Bulb Shed (official name Bulbs) in memory of Per Wendelbo, former Director of the Botanical Garden in 1965-1981. He started the Garden's interest in bulbs and tubers and founded the distinguished collections being further developed today. Bulbs and tubers have their best season in February-May when most of the plants are in bloom.
These plants have adapted to a climate with very dry, warm summers but humid, cool weather in autumn, winter and spring. One collective name for them is geophytes, from the Greek words for earth (geos) and plant (phyton). During the dry, inhospitable summers, they rest underground in a "summer-dormancy organ" that may be a bulb or a tuber. This organ contains water and nourishment that help the plant to survive the long period of rest. In spring, the plants are in a hurry to be pollinated before the drought starts. The flowers often have brilliant colours to attract insects.
