Rare Plants of the Samara Region Decorated the Eco-path of the Florarium in the Zaryadye Park in Moscow

The Zaryadye Park is a member of the Council of Botanic Gardens of Russia, which allows it to develop its collection through exchanging seeds with other flora curators.

Samara University’s Botanic Garden responded to the request of colleagues from the capital and provided them with seeds of a number of plants to be found in the climatic zone of the Samara Region. Among these “flora troops” are the Red Book gypsophila Zhigulevskaya and thyme Zhigulevsky, as well as marsh gentian.

In the Zaryadye Park, these plants can now be seen both in the open air and in the experimental aeroponic greenhouse of the pavilion “Protected Embassy” of the Florarium, where the route “Russia” has been created. The route “Russia” includes phytoboxes from all 89 regions of our country: from Kaliningrad to Chukotka, from the coast of the Arctic Ocean to Crimea. So, the marsh gentian sent from the Samara Region now does well in the phytobox of St. Petersburg.

Seeds of Dictamnus, lop-sided onion, martagon lily, burnet, dwarf iris, iris halophila, tarragon wormwood, gypsophila Zhigulevskaya and thyme Zhigulevsky were also sent from the Samara Region to Moscow.

The Florarium collection helps not only acquaint visitors of the Zaryadye Park with the plants of various regions of Russia, but also observe the behavior of plants in conditions of aeroponics and controlled microclimate all year round.

“We have handed over a database for exchange operations to our colleagues from the Zaryadye Park, and we are advising them on plant species”, said Irina Ruzaeva, Head of the Flora Department at the Samara University’s Botanic Garden. “Marsh gentian is included in the Red Books of many regions. We also discussed with the staff of the Department for Environmental Protection and Gardening at the Zaryadye Park the possibility of overseeing the Samara Region phytobox development”.