The
Exotic Rainforest
A Private Botanical Garden
W
hen you enter the Exotic Rainforest this is the first sight you will see.
The
Exotic Rainforest in Northwest Arkansas is the only rain forest exhibit
in the state! Even the Little Rock Zoo is considering using it as
a model for an exhibit they hope to build. It is the only rain
forest where any visitor can walk through a living tropical forest
without charge and with the assistance of a guide who has studied the
species within the collection.
A guest once said it
"looks like
Costa Rica under glass".
Don't let the photo fool you, the atrium is not enormous. The entire structure is not quite 8 meters by 8 meters (24 feet by 24 feet) with a 6.4 meter (21 foot) ceiling at the highest point. Constructed in 2002, it is large enough to house a large rare plant collection that truly grows just like a native rain forest with a controlled humidity of never less than 85%, controlled temperature never lower than 55 degrees F, daily automatic overhead watering, and many species that have either reached or are approaching their natural adult rain forest size!
A large number of the
plant species are
naturally
planted including exotic orchids and rare tropical species including flowering trees
are found in the garden along with those growing naturally on an
epiphytic tree above your head just as
you would see them in South
America! And in one area is a
group of full grown banana plants that have produced delicious fruit more
than once along with a pond and 6,000 gallon per hour waterfall. Large Anthurium sp.
with almost 2 meter (6 foot)
spans hang from the ceiling creating the
feeling of walking beneath a rain forest canopy. The walls are lined with hanging baskets.
You feel as though, if only for a brief moment, you are actually walking in a
South American rain forest. You sense that
because the sounds of
falling water and rain forest birds (recorded) can always be heard in the distance
along with the soothing sound of Ecuadorian pan flutes. Where else
in Arkansas can you have such an experience?
The center post has a scarce hanging Cercestis mirabilis, the
African Embossed Plant, along with numerous Anthurium species, rare ferns,
Philodendron species and other
exotic species on all four sides. A large leaf
Philodendron sagittifolium
with 76cm (28
inch) leaves is growing up the entire
post and has now surrounded the post and has almost reached
the ceiling. On the side facing the front (but barely in the
upper right hand corner of the large photo) is an
enormous Epipremnum aureum (golden pothos) with leaves up to
40cm (16 inches) attempting to reach the ceiling. Rare plants,
close to 300 species, can be found throughout the building.
Although often difficult to locate, among their leaves you'll find 3 species of tropical tree frogs as
well as small green lizards known as anoles. A beautiful Blue and
Gold Macaw named Wizard also resides in the
atrium. The large pond with moderately large fish is
immediately to the right of the walk. All this is in the backyard
of colonial home built in 1890 in a small Arkansas town! We've had
up to 60 visitors in a single day due to a recent tour offered by the
local garden club.
The Exotic Rainforest website was created to describe the plants in this collection. The Exotic Rainforest is not a business, it is a private botanical garden. A plant collection and there is no charge to visit. Every attempt is made to make sure our plant descriptions are scientifically accurate, however, I am not a botanist, I am a retired commercial photographer who takes pleasure in showing each plant as best possible in the photographs on this site. I have developed a network of contacts who are well known botanists and seek their advice or consult scientific journals on all plant subjects. You will find many quotes from recognized scientific authorities on the pages of this site. Very little information on this site is collected from the internet since much of that is not verified and often inaccurate. If you find what you believe is an error please make it known. We will however verify the accuracy before posting corrections.
Our goal is to be accurate but do
it in a manner anyone can understand.
We gladly attempt to offer our experience in growing most tropical plants. If
you are a return visitor you will notice this site is updated almost
daily. Many species in the collection have yet to be described and
photographed and we add new specimens almost every week. Our
collection is now recognized as one of the largest in mid-America and
has been featured in one national magazine article. But for some
very odd reason we cannot seem to get the attention of any of the local
press! Despite numerous invitations, not one has ever visited the
property. And despite our attempts to allow local schools to use
the garden as a rain forest teaching tool, none including the local
university, have ever chosen to visit.
One
website visitor from London recently said in an email,
"if you sense
somebody sat on that seat in the atrium it's probably me"./
So if I can tell the bench seat is warm the next time I sit there I'll
know someone, perhaps you, is visiting via the internet! You are
welcome to share our
park bench anytime via the net or in person. All we ask is a call
before you come.
The garden is open to the public
free of charge. You can find a map on the homepage of this
website. Schools are welcome to use the garden as a rain forest
teaching tool. If you would like to continue the tour now
just follow the links at the bottom of each page by clicking on the
smaller photo. Or, if you are seeking a particular plant species
click on the link below to be taken to the list of species currently
described. Please visit!
Steve & Janice Lucas
Siloam
Springs, Arkansas
You can follow a "trail"
through the rain forest. Click the small photo (right above).