Woodland
Park Zoo
Botanical Information
Conserving
Plants
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One of the main
responsibilities of Woodland Park Zoo is to help conserve plants and animals.
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More than 30,000 species
of plants in the world are now threatened with extinction.
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Woodland Park Zoo
displays 18 species of endangered plants, including 12 species of orchids and
six species of pitcher plants.
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Several active plant
conservation projects are planned for the near future.
African Savanna
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Most of the
award-winning African Savanna plants cannot be grown outdoors in Seattle
because of Northwest winters, so the zoo has planted trees, shrubs and grasses
to represent the look and feel of such plants.
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Many plants on the zoos
African Savanna, like those in Africa, have developed adaptations to prevent
water loss. The thorny elaeagnus and silk-tassle bush have a thick, waxy
cuticle to minimize water loss through the leaf surface. Also, the Russian
olive trees and autumn berry reflect the sun with their light-colored leaves.
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Trees like the black locust,
which substitutes for acacia trees on the zoo's African Savanna, have thorns
to
minimize being eaten.
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Several plants that
would be found around watering holes in Africa have been added to give the
exhibit a lush, exotic feel. Plants such as the staghorn sumac with its
compound leaves, the tall bamboo-looking giant reed which can grow up to 18
feet tall, water canna and manna grass all help add a look of authenticity to
the exhibit.
Tropical Rain Forest
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Many plants of economic
value are featured in the zooÕs award-winning Tropical Rain Forest exhibit,
including plants such as chocolate, coffee, black pepper, vanilla, tapioca,
ginger, mahogany and the Panama hat plant.
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Orchids, the largest
plant family on the planet with over 25,000 species, are displayed throughout
the Tropical Rain Forest exhibit.
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Many species of ferns
are featured as well, like the staghorn fern, which has wide, leathery fronds
that often branch out to look like deer antlers.
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The Vanda coerulea, the beautiful blue orchid from Burma and Thailand,
along with several species of endangered tropical pitcher plants, can be found
in the zoo's Tropical Rain Forest.
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The new
Jaguar Cove contains more than 1,500 plants, including trees, shrubs, vines and
ground covers, both inside and outside the jaguar enclosure.
Tropical Asia
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Most of Woodland Park
Zoo's impressive bamboo collection can be found in the award-winning Tropical
Asia exhibit. More than 40 species, both temperate and tropical, are grown in
the exhibits and surrounding areas.
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Clumps of bamboo help to
create a sense of immersion into natural habitats by screening off one exhibit
from another.
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Even though
tropical plants can't be grown outdoors in Seattle, the zoo has recreated a
tropical Asian forest by using temperate plants. This is accomplished by
incorporating the ecological elements of a tropical forest including layering
of the forest, leaf shape and level of diversity.
Northern Trail
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The goal in planting the
zoo's award-winning Northern Trail exhibit was to use species native to the
boreal forests of Alaska.
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Visitors can walk
through a closed forest of white spruce with clumps of paper birch trees, a
grove of quaking aspen, a black spruce community, a paper birch/white
spruce/poplar forest and a coastal forest.
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Alaska yellow cedar,
located in the coastal forest, exhibits an unusual growth habit to deal with
heavy snow: the foliage of these trees hangs perpendicular to the ground to
shed the load!
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The land of the midnight
sun produces an awesome variety of long-lasting flowers. During the summer zoo
visitors can see prickly rose, shrubby yellow-flowered cinquefoil, mountain
cranberries, twinflower, blue lupine, white foamflower, soapberries, Saskatoon
serviceberries, and Alaska's state flower, blue forget-me-not.
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The zoo's
shrub tundra, located near the Tundra Center, sports two dwarf arctic birch
trees and a small variety of willows.
Temperate Forest
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On the path leading
toward the zooÕs water tower, visitors can observe native species of plants
that produce nectar and food for wildlife, such as serviceberry and Indian
plum.
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The western red cedar,
Douglas fir and western hemlock, along with shrubs and ground cover, provide
natural cover for wildlife.
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The Family Farm features
a butterfly garden with host plants to attract native butterflies.
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A vegetable garden
demonstrates the benefits of using the highly coveted, exclusive Woodland Park
Zoo Doo compost.
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The garden includes
apple trees, hybrids of dwarf apple trees and regular apple trees. This variety
allows farmers to grow more apples using less space.
Woodland Park Rose Garden
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The 2.5-acre
garden displays 260 varieties of roses and 5,000 individual rose bushes
embellished by a lily pond and gazebo. Types of roses include: hybrid teas,
floribundas, grandifloras, miniatures, climbers, landscape and tree roses. Peak
time is July.
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In 1996, Woodland Park's
Rose Garden won the All-America Rose Selections (AARS) award for outstanding
maintenance.
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In 1995, Woodland Park's
Rose Garden was voted outstanding rose garden in the U.S. by AARS.
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It is one of only 24
AARS test sites in the U.S.
Outstanding Trees
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More than 5,000 trees of
200 separate species grow throughout the exhibits and open spaces in Woodland
Park Zoo.
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An important component
in the redevelopment of the zoo is the special effort to preserve trees.
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The zoo's mountain ash,
which is a champion in North America, sweet birch, black cherry, Shirotae or
Mt. Fuji cherry, Sargent crab apple and chinquapin oak are all on Washington
state's Big Tree list.
Feigning Foreign Flora
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By approximating their
native habitats, animals respond by exhibiting more natural behaviors.
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Exotic plant shapes, leaf sizes and
landscape compositions unfamiliar to the eye are the most effective way to make
zoo visitors and animals feel as if they have left the Northwest environment.
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The use of several hardy
species of vines and plants with very large leaves, and a conscious effort to
reduce the appearance of patterns, create the look and feel of the tropics.