Greenhouse a refuge from winter woes

Sun rays seen through green leaves at glass ceiling of greenhouse

Sunlight shines through the glass roof and warms a variety of plant life in the Botany Greenhouse. Photo by: Bryce Richter

Japanese Lantern hibiscus with red petals and green leaves

A Japanese Lantern hibiscus (Hibiscus schizopetalus) flower hangs from the glass ceiling. Photo by: Bryce Richter

Green leaves on a stem of a Hawaiian cotton plant

Leaves of a Hawaiian cotton plant (Gossypium tomentosum) shine in the sun. Photo by: Bryce Richter

Mass of green aquatic duckweed leaves floating on water

Aquatic duckweed (Lemnoideae) floats on the water's surface. Photo by: Bryce Richter

Japanese Camellia with red petals and green leaves

A Japanese Camellia (Camellia japonica) blooms. Photo by: Bryce Richter

Green leaves on stems of Cape honeysuckle plant seen from below

The light shines through the leaves of a Cape honeysuckle plant (Tecoma capensis). Photo by: Bryce Richter

Each room contains a unique temperature and humidity level. Photo by: Bryce Richter

Orange petals and green leaves on stems of an orange hibiscus

A Chinese lantern (Abutilon). Photo by: Bryce Richter

Purple and white petals on a Mount Lip orchid stem

A Mount Lip orchid (Doritaenopsis). Photo by: Bryce Richter

An orchid (Orchidaceae) blooms. Photo by: Bryce Richter

Venus flytrap with needle-like spikes surrounding reddish inside

A Venus flytrap's (Dionaea muscipula) open traps wait for a meal. Photo by: Bryce Richter

Closeup of a few goldfish swimming under a green stem with needlelike leaves

Platies (Xiphophorus maculatus) swim in a tank filled with aquatic plants. Photo by: Bryce Richter

Blue sky seen through glass ceiling over green plants

The winter sun shines into the tropical room. Photo by: Bryce Richter

Digital thermometer in a metal bracket reading 26 percent humidity and 88 degrees Fahrenheit

A digital thermometer shows warm temperatures and low humidity. Photo by: Bryce Richter

Small orange in a cluster of green leaves

A Calamondin orange (x Citrofortunella microcarpa) takes in the afternoon sun. Photo by: Bryce Richter

A dozen or morre large and small cacti, mostly green, one with pink nodules

A collection of cacti in the desert room includes a number of barrel cactus (Echinocactus grusonii). Photo by: Bryce Richter

Reddish pink flowers on stems with sparse green leaves

A vibrant pink Azalea (Rhododendron) shrub soaks up the winter sun. Photo by: Bryce Richter

Small lavender flowers on stems among larger green leaves

A bergenia plant (Bergenia crassifolia) blooms in the bog display. Photo by: Bryce Richter

Greenhouse seen from outside with brown, dead vegetation in the snow and green tropical plants inside

Snow and dead foliage provide a sharp contrast to the late afternoon sunlight shining through the green leaves of plants living inside the warm environment of the Botany Greenhouse. Photo by: Bryce Richter

I don’t know about you, but I’ve just about had my fill of winter. While it hasn’t been a particularly brutal season (yet), it’s still winter any way you look at it. I can only take so much frozen, snow-covered ground under my feet and biting wind in my face before it starts to wear me down a bit. Maybe it’s just my Texas roots showing through, but I find myself wishing for the days to get a little longer, a little warmer and a lot greener.

Bryce inside the greenhouse in front of green plants with his eyeglasses fogged over

It would take a few moments for University Communications staff photographer Bryce Richter’s foggy glasses to adjust after he escaped from the frigid outdoor air into the balmy Botany Greenhouse. Photo: Bryce Richter

If you harbor any similar feelings, I’m going to let you in on a bit of a secret. There’s a place you can go to escape the snow, the cold and the watery gray of a Wisconsin winter. No, I’m not talking about California or Florida. It’s somewhere right here on campus. The Botany Greenhouse in Birge Hall is an 8,000-square-foot oasis of warmth and greenery everywhere you look. Remember green?

Home to the Department of Botany’s extensive collection of more than 1,000 species of plants in a variety of climates, including desert and tropical, the Botany Greenhouse is an essential teaching and research facility for UW faculty and students. The collection houses a large variety of plants, including aquatics, ferns, orchids, succulents and woody plants that are used in teaching many of the botany courses. The facility also provides a dedicated space for the botany department faculty, staff and students to conduct a wide span of research topics.

If you would like to visit, the greenhouse is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Be sure to leave your coat on the rack outside the entrance, you won’t need it.

The winding halls and stairways of Birge Hall lead to the well-hidden but worth-the-trip Botany Greenhouse. University Communications video