Celebrate plants at the Aquarium!
Join us every Friday of April 2021 to learn all about plants and why they are important. Lucas, our senior horticulturist, will take you on a journey to see some amazing plants that you can spot around the Aquarium in this new mini series: Flora & Fauna Fridays.
Episode 1: Top 5 Plants in Journey to South America
Animals aren’t the only incredible wildlife under our care at the Aquarium. We are also proud to house hundreds of species of rare and exotic plants. In this episode, Lucas will be introducing you to the top five plants to look for in our Journey to South America hall. Check out the map below for where these plants are located.
Want to know where to find these plants in our Journey to South America? Check out this map for where these plants are located.
Episode 2: Plants on the Rio Tinto Plaza
As the weather warms, we are excited to welcome all of you back to explore the new Rio Tinto Kennecott Plaza, and we hope you will observe the plant life that is spread across our outdoor space. In this episode, Lucas will help you know what to look for as he guides us through some of the plants that are growing on the plaza.
Episode 3: Planting Native
There are many factors to consider when planting a garden or choosing plants for your landscape, such as soil, water, and weather conditions where you are planting. One easy way to get a low-maintenance garden is to plant native species because they will thrive best in your environment, and as an added benefit, they will help local pollinators. Enjoy this episode of Flora & Fauna Fridays as Lucas introduces you to several native plant species in Utah.
Episode 4: Where Fauna Meets Flora
Plants play a role in nearly every animal’s life as a source of food or shelter. Join Lucas in our Ford Expedition Asia hall to visit some amazing species that make their homes in plants here as well as in their natural habitats.
Episode 5: PLANeT Earth
Our planet is undoubtedly beautified by the abundance of plants in every ecosystem across the globe. The Earth needs plants, as do we. Thank you for joining Lucas on these Flora & Fauna Fridays to learn more about the importance of plant life. Now it is your chance to go out and grow something for yourself and for the world.
Glossary
Aglaonema: Chinese evergreen plant with bright green petioles
Arboreal: animal trait meaning they live in trees
Aroid: group of plants with special adaptations to allow light to pass through their leaves in order to maximize their absorption of sunlight
Begonia obliqua: a tropical flowering plant with very dainty blooms
Biome: ecosystem in a small space
Chamaedorea: genus of plants that are popularly grown indoors since the Victorian era
Endotherm: an animal that generates its own heat to maintain a metabolically favorable temperature, commonly referred to as “warm-blooded”
Hellebore: Winter-blooming flower with dark purple petals
Metallica palm: also known as a Fishtail palm; its leaves are very glossy
Munro’s Globemalow: flowering plant with bright orange blooms and silvery leaves
Nominal species: the first of a class of species to be named
Palmate: having leaflets that radiate outwards from a common point
Penstemon: tubular flower that is a favorite of hummingbirds with over 80 species native to Utah
Perennial: a plant that lives more than two years
Petiole: the stem of a leaf
Philodendron squamiferum: also known as Lizard leaf for the shape of its large leaves
Pinnate: having leaflets arranged on either side of the stem, typically in pairs opposite each other
Self Fertile: Having the property of fertilizing itself
Swiss cheese plant: tropical leafy plant with holes in the large upper leaves which allow the lower leaves to receive light
Utah Sweetvetch: flower from the pea family with fern-like leaves
Vanilla pompona: South American orchid vine plant
Witch hazel: Winter-blooming plant commonly harvested for topical medical treatments
Zeroscaping: low-water landscaping