Spring came on the calendar a while ago, but the buds are still swelling. If you cannot wait to see flowering plants, Moscow’s greenhouses offer the chance to see fuchsia, bergamot, roses, and the world’s blackest orchid already exuding fragrances.
Apothecary Garden
A favorite of Muscovites and tourists—Apothecary Garden—is the oldest in Moscow. It was founded in 1706 by a decree of Peter the Great near Sukharevskaya Tower, where the tsar was engaged in the development of science. Peter invited experienced foreign botanists and gardeners to grow medicinal herbs for the court pharmacy, and they taught future doctors. According to legend, in honor of the foundation of the garden, the emperor personally planted spruce, fir, and larch—the last of which is still alive.
Visit for the spring mood: on March 12, the first snowdrops appeared at the main entrance of the Shadow Garden. Every year, thanks to the special microclimate, they bloom earlier than in other parks. There are six types of snowdrops growing on the territory of the Apothecary Garden: folded, Elvis, snowy, Alpine, Rhizean, and Voronov’s snowdrop. Crocuses and daffodils have also emerged from under the snow.
The Apothecary’s Garden is also famous for its greenhouses. In February, in the palm room, the Mediterranean palm of St. Peter (Chamaerops humilis) bloomed for the first time. Its yellow flowers resemble mimosa. And on the last day of winter, the blackest orchid in the world, fredklarkeara Black Pearl, bloomed in the same greenhouse. The darkest flower known to botanists was bred by Fred Clark, a hybridizer from California. Fashion designer Tom Ford was inspired by this flower and created the eponymous fragrance Black Orchid in 2016.
The annual Spring Flower Festival will officially open the season. It will take place from April to June. First, the garden will be decorated with carpets of primroses, many of which are listed in the Red Book. Visitors will see Corydalis, Puschkinia, and anemone, whose micro-population has been preserved in the garden since the time before Peter the Great. By the end of April, guests will be able to see Japanese cherry, magnolia, almond, apple, and other fruit trees blossom. In May, more than 50 varieties of lilac will bloom, including Hungarian, Amur, and Japanese. At the end of spring, tree-like peonies and rhododendrons will flower.
26s1 Mira Avenue (Prospekt Mira metro station).
Open daily from 10:00 to 20:00.
Tsaritsyno State Museum and Nature Reserve
The greenhouse complex of Tsaritsyno is the oldest in Moscow. Its first greenhouses were built in the 1740s, where figs, grapes, aloe, and roses were grown. The buildings were recreated according to the plans in 2007–2008. Now, exotic fruits ripen and rare plants bloom all year round.
In April, the Grape Greenhouse is filled with the aromas of flowering citrus plants, including bergamot, orange, lemon, and mandarin trees. The Clivia, native to Southeastern Africa, have also burst into blossom. A single stem of Clivia has several yellow-orange flowers resembling small lilies.
In the First Greenhouse Complex, where palm trees grow, Chinese hibiscus, or Chinese rose, blooms. Visitors can also see unusual yellow flowers resembling candles: they are Pachystachis—a shrub of the Acanthaceae family, which grows in the forests of Eastern India and the tropical areas of South America.
In the Second Greenhouse Complex, the bananas and pineapples have already ripened. In April, the fuchsia—a plant native to South America and New Zealand—blooms. Fuchsia is popularly called “gypsy earrings” for the unusual pink and purple flowers that hang from the shrub.
1s31 Dolskaya Street (Orekhovo metro station).
Open on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10:00 to 18:00, on Fridays and Saturdays from 10:00 to 20:00, and on Sundays from 10:00 to 18:00. Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Florarium in Zaryadye Park
The Experimental Greenhouse of the park is designed in the shape of a funnel. Several hundred species of plants from the different climatic zones of Russia grow in it. Guests climb the spiral and get acquainted with the flora of the Siberian, Ural, North Caucasian, Northwestern, Central, and Volga regions.
The southern plants are located on the upper level under the glass dome, where almonds, figs, kiwi, olives, and mountain lavender grow. Visitors to the florarium can also find exotic plants of all kinds: papaya, crested pineapple, yuzu, and Arabian coffee.
In April, strawberries, pumpkin, zucchini, lemon, and figs ripen in the greenhouse. Flowers such as blooming roses, chrysanthemums, violets, and asters can also be admired.
6s1 Varvarka Street (Kitay-Gorod metro station)
Open on Mondays from 14:00 to 20:00, Tuesdays to Sundays from 10:00 to 20:00.
Пресс-служба парка «Зарядье»
