Rostock Botanical Garden

The Botanical Garden is a scientific institution of the University of Rostock for research, teaching, education about the importance of biological diversity and the conservation of rare plant species.

It is also available to the public as a source of information and a green oasis. Around 7,000 plant species are cultivated biologically in scientific departments, biotope facilities, greenhouses and a university garden on the 7.8-hectare monumental site. The open-air grounds The outdoor area of the Botanic Garden contains the following main areas: The systematic department and the associated arboretum scientifically group around 2500 plant species according to their phylogenetic relationship and bear witness to the progress in the evolution of the plant kingdom, which has taken place on various development paths over many millions of years. The morphological-biological section focuses on a wide variety of plant formations based on around 350 species, which fulfil certain vital functions in adaptation to environmental conditions and can be characterized as plant functional types. Here, the role of plant organs in ensuring survival and reproduction is the trigger for the development of very diverse, but also astonishingly similar building plans in different plant groups. In the official section, over 200 species used as medicinal, healing, spice, dyeing, fiber and technology plants are grouped according to their ingredients and corresponding uses. The section on the history of useful plants in north-east Germany presents around 60 plant species that have been introduced to the area of today's north-east Germany from the Neolithic period onwards and have been used to a significant extent. In other areas of the garden, the biotope areas, the plants are allowed to grow naturally. The requirements of the location and interactions with each other are the decisive factors here. In addition to the dune and intermediate moor, the spring moor and wet meadow, dry sandy grassland, beech forest and alder swamp as well as the stream and three ponds reflect the importance of the ecological habitat for the development of diversity in the plant kingdom. In the Alpinum you can see how the complex of extreme environmental factors in the high montane and subalpine stages on acidic and alkaline weathering parent rocks has produced peculiar and very colorful adaptations, which also show interesting similarities in systematically very different groups. Around 1500 species are housed here. Smaller areas include the Japanese garden, a collection of evergreen species and a bedding area with protected native plant species. A so-called university garden, an area for garden therapy and a bee information garden are run by external partners. The greenhouses The greenhouses contain collections (around 1000 species) of tropical useful and rainforest plants, subtropical species from various deserts and semi-deserts around the world, and Mediterranean species from four continents. The geographical focus is on the Old World (Palaeotropics) with Africa, Madagascar and the Canary Islands. Special collections include a number of desiccation-tolerant vascular plants and carnivorous plants, which are the focus of research projects. All greenhouses in the Botanic Garden are primarily used for university teaching and research and are not structurally equipped for large and sustained visitor traffic. We ask for your understanding that they can therefore only be opened to the public on Tuesdays to Thursdays during the working hours of the greenhouse gardeners and during the Sunday guided tours.