More than just cacti! In the Desert House you will find a variety of plants that have managed to adapt to life in hot and dry locations.

If you have never been to a tropical rainforest, you can get a small impression of the lush greenery in the humid tropics in our Tropical Glasshouse.

The bird of paradise flower is just one of more than 21,000 plant species found in South Africa. Get a small impression of the unique flora of this diverse country.

The Tertiary pond gives an impression of the ‘exotic’ past of Central Europe during the Tertiary period (approx. 70 - 2 million years ago). At that time, plants grew here that are now extinct in Europe, but still occur in North America and East Asia, in some cases with many species. These include bald cypresses, sequoias and magnolias.

The Chinese Garden is located in the centre of the Botanical Garden. As one of the most beautiful and authentic Chinese gardens in Germany, this very special cultural gem is known far beyond Bochum.

In our large Alpinum we display plants from the mountains of Europe, Asia and North and South America.

Dunes are not only beautiful landscapes, but also habitats for rare species and natural coastal defences. Find out here how dunes are formed and how they change over time.

Inspired by the wild and natural-looking ‘prairie garden style’ of Dutch landscape designer Piet Oudolf, we are constantly trying out new species and cultivars that are better adapted to our increasingly dry summers.

Medicinal plants unfold their various effects through their different ingredients. In our medicinal garden you will find many well-known and lesser-known medicinal plants that have been used by humans since time immemorial.

The Indian lotus flower has deep religious significance for Hindus and Bhuddists. This charismatic plant has also become famous for its self-cleaning leaves (‘Lotus Effect®’), from which water simply rolls off. In addition to the lotus flower, you will also find various water lilies and other aquatic plants in the lotus pond.

In the frost-free months of the year, we display a large number of succulent (= water-storing) plants from all over the world in the beds bordering the desert house to the south and north.