Perched high above the campus, a little known oasis offers both a welcome change of scenery for those seeking tropical refuge and a unique educational facility for students at The U of M.
Located on top of the Life Sciences building, the 3000 square-foot U of M greenhouse contains thousands of plant specimens that have been collected from various tropical regions around the world.
Barbara Taller, an associate professor of biology and supervisor of the facility, said the greenhouse is a tremendous asset to The U of M.
“The greenhouse is imperative for research, and it also allows The University to get involved in preservation efforts,” Taller said.
Within the glass enclaves of the “jungle in the sky,” Taller, along with assistant Justin Mann, cultivates flora ranging from fruit-bearing trees to a variety of carnivorous plants, year- round.
In addition, the greenhouse contains numerous plants that are considered endangered, including several varieties of orchids.
While the greenhouse may serve as a fundamental staple in educational research for biology and botany students, it also serves as an excellent public relations tool for The University.
Taller and Mann spend roughly five hours a day watering plants, pulling weeds, giving tours and performing other maintenance duties.
“We maintain a very high humidity level,” said Mann. “Spend much time in here, and the humidity in Memphis seems refreshing.”
The rare and exotic plants, like orchids and the bird of paradise plant, provide splashes of vibrant color against the luxuriant background of green vegetation.
Other plants include Venus flytraps, pineapple bushes, and the Dischidia, a plant which coexists with ants in a mutually beneficial relationship.
The Nepenthes, another carnivorous plant, lures roaches and other insects with sweet nectar that lines the top of the plant’s pitchers at the end of its leaves, and proves an efficient means of pest control, according to Taller.
In addition to her financial duties, Taller’s main objective is to keep the greenhouse organized.
“(Before), it was survival of the fittest plant,” Taller said. “You need to have people who have an interest in plants and want to take care of them.”
In the past, records and inventory of plants was not done systematically, according to Justin Mann, who is also a supplemental class instructor.
Mann said he is trying to fix the problem by compiling information from resources in the laboratory and sources from the Internet — a task he has been at for almost four years.
He has taken pictures of the plants and labeled and described them in an inventory database.
“I owe it to students like Justin who helped me take care of (the greenhouse),” Taller said.
