Travel
Spotlight on the Zurich succulents collection
An interesting collection for the entire family
Entrance sign of the succulents collection in Zurich
Where is it? Mythenquai 88 in Zurich
Opened daily from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Cost: Free
The inside of a cactus flower
My favorite place in Zurich is the succulents collection. I am lucky as I live nearby.
This year the Zurich collection celebrates its 75 year anniversary!
My son loves it and learns how to recognize what pricks or not! I like bringing my out of town guests to share my passion for cactuses. One of them told me recently “I would have never imagined spending 2 hours there and having such a fun time. It was a wonderful experience.”
Every couple of months, you will find me in the succulent collection in Zurich. Sometimes, I go there daily even for a short visit, especially when cactuses start blooming. Spring and Summer months are perfect times to wander through the greenhouses especially in the morning.
Some cactus bloom at night like the Queen of the Night. For that occasion the collection is open at night one evening. You need to check the website of the collection daily in June! It may be on June 14th.
Escobaria: a brown yellow-cactus
Last time I visited the greenhouses, I was lucky as a cactus I had never seen before in the North America house was blooming. It had an elegant white flower.
The collection has a variety of cactuses like small ones (like Parodia) mini (Gymnocalycium and Rebutia), medium (Opuntia) and tall cactuses (Pereskia). It holds many different agaves and aloes.
Don’t miss the Epiphyte house in the back. It took me a while to see it was open to the public. It has a small fish pool, many green plants, orchids and even a side papyrus plant.
- in Zurich since September 1931
- collection has always been free since its opening.
- part of Green City Zurich (Grün Stadt Zürich) like other gardens in Zurich
- found by Julius Brann, who bought the plants from Jakob Gasser
- grew from 1512 plants and 652 species in 1931 to 25,000 today with 6500 species
- has 6 rooms: America (2), Madagascar, Africa, Giant Plant Greenhouse, Air plants
- holds an outside rocky garden and many cold frames
- about 50,000 visitors come annually
- has 6 gardeners: 4 full time, 2 part-time
- other workers are a botanical scientist, a part-time secretary and the head of the succulent collections, Gabriela Wyss.
Tall white flower of a cactus (Echinopsis)
What does the Zurich succulents collection offer?
- Exhibits for the Long night of the museums: next one is one Sept.3rd
- Special evenings with late open nights: next one on Wednesday June 22d
- Guided tours
- Cactus photo contest
- Information with conferences and slideshows
- Sales of cactuses: next one is Thursday June 23 from 2:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
- A library
- Help on how to take care of your succulents
- Botanical week from June 18th-26th
I noticed this Spring for the first time that some small cactuses have been planted at the big clock in Burkliplatz near the lake.
You can also become a member and a friend of the collection by joining the association.
So if you are in love of succulents or not feeling too well, drop by the Zurich succulents collection, flowers do make wonders!
