This winter we’re going way back in time, as we dive into the world of cycads!
Cycads are among the most primitive seed plants. And they have been around for more than 270 million years! It is hard to imagine, but these primordial plants witnessed the ‘rise and fall’ of the dinosaurs.
They reached the peak of their diversity during the Mesozoic (252-66 million years ago) and especially during the geological periods of the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. Together with ferns and ginkgoes, they formed extensive ecosystems and provided plant-eating dinosaurs with food.
In this exhibition, you will discover how these plants have existed for so long and how they survived multiple mass extinctions. And our current modern times also present challenges for the cycad. Today, unfortunately only a handful of species exist, and they are also seriously threatened. As a botanic garden, the Hortus helps to preserve and increase knowledge about this amazing group of plants.