AROID HOUSE

House History:
Too Hot, Too Cold, Just Right     

In the early 1900’s, the room that is now called the Aroid House, was called the Conifer House because of the collection of sub-tropical evergreens it housed. (Jensen’s original walkway still exists in this room, and the deeply colored red stones were meant to be evocative of an alpine mountainside.) Since evergreens require fairly chilly temperatures, this room also became known as the “Cold Room.” In 1923, after years of struggling to maintain the cool climate of this space, it was converted to the warm Aroid House. (Plants are classified by the structure of their flowers. The family of “Aroids” share a unique flower structure, called a “spadix”- you can spot this special club-like spike throughout the Aroid House.)  The large leaves of the Aroid House offer visitors a glimpse of “houseplants gone wild.” Many common houseplants belong to the family of “aroids”, as in their natural environment, aroids grow in the shady understory of tropical rainforests, so are well adapted to a house’s low lighting conditions.
 
The room formerly known as the Cold Room ironically became just that in the winter of 1994, when a brutal January freeze devastated the plants of this room and threatened to shut down the entire Conservatory. The Park District convened a task force with representatives from community, educational, and environmental organizations. Over the next few years, the Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance was born and the revitalization of the Conservatory began as a partnership between the Chicago Park District and the newly formed non-profit Alliance. This partnership -- a governmental agency paired with a private non-profit organization – was one of the first of its kind. Today, these two entities remain strong collaborators in the stewardship and growth of the historic Garfield Park Conservatory.

(Source for this section: Inspired By Nature, pages 73, 87& 88.)

A Special Place:
Chihuly’s Garden of Glass 

In 2001, artist Dale Chihuly transformed the Conservatory into a “garden of glass” with his colorful glass sculptures. The exhibition of Chihuly’s work reintroduced this hidden gem of a conservatory to the public and proved to be another important renaissance for Garfield Park. The “Persian Lily Pads” crafted by Chihuly were acquired by the Chicago Park District and are now on display in the Aroid House pond.

(Source for this section: Inspired By Nature, page 92.)

The Special People:

Antonio’s Tattoo: Jagua Trees

Tom Antonio, former Curator of Plants for the Conservatory, brought the seeds of this plant back from the Peruvian Amazon during the summer of 1996. In Peru, the local indigenous people, who also call the tree “Huito” or “Genipa,” harvest its young fruit and grind it into pulp. When applied to the skin, the resulting clear liquid leaves a black or deep purple stain. Natives use this natural dye to create temporary ornamental tattoos. This important conservatory plant exemplifies yet another example of a generous and restless horticulturist leaving their mark by bringing back living souvenirs from tropical travels

The Special People:
The Magician of Flowers and his Heliconia   

Augustus Koch, director of the Conservatory from 1912-1940, brought so much new life to this place that he was hailed the “Magician of Flowers.” He created a world-class center for botanic research and education, while also heightening the beauty that attracted the general public. During Koch’s tenure at the Conservatory, several new plants were developed and propagated right here in our greenhouses, including the Heliconia kochiana, a relative of the banana plant. The grove of Heliconia in the Aroid House, though not specifically kociahina, stands as a reminder of Koch’s magical green thumb and his great influence on the history of the Conservatory.

(Source for this section: Inspired By Nature, pages 74, 75.)