The 50th edition of the Exotic Plants
Exhibition will be held in the Greenhouse Complex compartments,
starting on February 8, at 11:00 a.m., until March 9, 2025, at 5:00
p.m.
On the occasion of this jubilee edition, under
the theme of Flowers in Celebration, visitors are invited to discover
horticultural species and varieties belonging to certain categories
of exotic plants, especially azaleas and camellias.
At this year's edition, the Camellia genus collection is
highlighted at the entrance, whose flowers are often called "winter
roses" due to the composition of the flowers. This is noticeable
in the folded varieties, with a number of petals greater than 6,
which have C. japonica as their parental species, such
as 'Adolphe Audusson' or 'Robert Casamajor'. The simple flowers,
with a single row of petals, have among their parental species C.
cuspidata (the 'Cornish Spring' variety) or C. reticulata.
The landscaping arrangements made by the employees who care for
the protected collections in the greenhouse complex, suggest the
specific ecological requirements of the mountainous areas located
east of the Himalayas, where most species of the genus Rhododendron
come from. The presence of rocks in this landscape highlights the
preference of most azaleas for stony soils, hence the name derived
from the Greek language (azaleos = dry). Most of the azaleas
on display, including the horticultural varieties ‘De Waele’s
Favorite’, ‘Petrick Alba’, ‘Rolco’,
‘Rubis’, ‘Sachsenstern’ belong to the species
R. simsii, being recommended for indoor spaces.
From humid climate areas, plants from the Araceae families (Anthurium
- flamingo flower, Philodendron - philodendrons, Monstera
deliciosa - false pineapple), Begoniaceae (Begonia rex
- angelica, B. masoniana - iron cross), Acanthaceae (Pachystachys
lutea, Justicia carnea), Orchidaceae (Coelogyne,
Cymbidium, Phalaenopsis, Paphiopedilum
- Venus slipper), the genera Codiaeum (croton), Cycas,
Schefflera (umbrella plant), Trachycarpus (fan
palm), etc. are grown in greenhouses.
From arid areas, taxa from the Cactaceae family
come, including species from the genera Astrophytum, Cereus,
Mammillaria, Opuntia, Parodia, etc. or
from the group of succulent plants, such as Aloe, Agave,
Crassula, Euphorbia, Kalanchoe, Yucca,
etc.
In a special diorama, specimens belonging to the
Bromeliaceae family, endemic to South America, are exhibited, where
one can observe terrestrial taxa from the genera Billbergia
(Queen's tears), Dyckia, Fosterella, Guzmania
or epiphytic species from the genera Acanthostachys and
Tillandsia, also known as air plants.
The species with the most ingenious and curious
adaptations are undoubtedly the so-called carnivorous plants, which
are presented in two diorames, in which the ecological conditions
of their habitat are suggested. Some curious characteristics of
the species Cephalotus follicularis and Dionaea muscipula
(flytrap) can be noted, as well as of taxa from the genera Drosera
(sundews), Nepenthes (monkey pitcher), or Sarracenia
(pitcher plant).
The invitation to visit all these plant collections
is launched from the entrance by the symbols on the plant walls
(Torii gate, pagoda, Chinese musical instrument yunluo and Eternal
Knot). With the help of the contrasting colors of the leaves, they
transmit joy, calm, serenity and the desire to enrich ourselves
spiritually.
The price of a ticket is 15 lei, and for students, pensioners and
groups (minimum 10 people) it is 10 lei, respectively 5 lei for
students, individually or in a group (minimum 10 people), including
for the organizers, teachers and parents who accompany them.
Photography is free.
History. The Exotic Plants Exhibition
is the first event dedicated to the scientific collections of azaleas
and camellias in a botanical garden in Romania, organized in February
- March, starting with 1975, until now.
This event is part of the cycle of thematic exhibitions
with flowers, fruits and seeds, and contributes essentially to the
uniqueness of the "Anastasie Fatu" Botanical Garden of
the "Alexandru Ioan Cuza" University of Iasi, which individualizes
it in relation to similar institutions in the country and abroad.
Through these traditional events, the team of the Botanical Garden
of Iasi offers scientific and cultural support, both to the community
of Iasi municipality, as well as to visitors from the country and
abroad.
The debut of these events was initially marked by the introduction,
for didactic and research purposes, of a small number of azaleas
and camellias, in the spaces in the greenhouse complex that were
intended for their cultivation and maintenance, less for presentation
to visitors.
Between 1975-2008, the azaleas and camellias were
exhibited to the public in small compartments, with narrow access
paths, but with the advantage of offering visitors a direct approach
to the plants, which impressed with the intense chromaticity of
the flowers, but presented the disadvantage of the lack of perspective
and the fragmentation of the overall image of the collection.
Throughout this period, the events took place under the generic
name of "Azaleas and Camellias Exhibition", except for
2008 when it was called "The Magic of Flowers".
Between 2009-2013, the event was called "
Messages with Flowers", and this theme inspired visitors who
participated in a contest with prizes, for example in the 2011 edition.
In the exhibition greenhouse dedicated to organizing events, the
space was more generous, which allowed the presentation of an impressive
number of tropical and subtropical plants from other unique collections.
The design of the exhibitions began to be carried out in accordance
with principles inspired by East Asian culture and tradition, especially
Chinese and Japanese, correlated with the predominantly Asian origin
of the azaleas and camellia collections. Thus, exhibition stands
were created by the employees of the Botanical Garden, which brought
together elements of landscape architecture inspired by Japanese
gardens (the 2010 edition - pagoda, footbridges, lanterns or fragments
of natural stone), by rituals celebrating the arrival of spring
(2012 - masks that came from different areas of the world placed
between plants of the same origin) or by the art of bonsai (2013).
The 2014 edition marked the inauguration of 2 new compartments intended
for the cultivation of azaleas and camellias, spaces where the 2016
edition was organized, an event that opened the cycle of anniversary
events dedicated to the 200th anniversary of the birth of naturalist
Anastasie Fatu, founder of the first botanical garden in Romania,
a garden that celebrated 160 years of existence.
In the exhibitions from 2015-2020, visual artists from Iasi exhibited
paintings or artistic installations under the generic name "Heart".
The parallel development of these cultural events stimulated the
artistic expression initiatives of the garden's landscapers, who
competed in the use of plant remains, represented by dry roots,
stem bark, leaves, flowers or dried fruits, but also rocks or natural
fibers, with which they created very refined decorative elements.
The sources of inspiration were diverse: love (2016 edition),
birds in the culture of peoples (2018 edition) or Japanese
gardens (2019 edition).
In 2020, plants from the flora of Japan were selected for the landscaping,
as well as special specimens from the collection of tropical ferns.
Also on this occasion, a permanent exhibition with species and hybrids
of carnivorous plants, originating from different areas of the world,
was inaugurated.
Starting with 2020, a new element was represented
by the creation of vegetable walls from perennial grasses with contrasting
foliage.
In 2021, due to restrictions during the pandemic,
the exhibition could not be visited, as the greenhouses were closed,
therefore the landscape arrangements inspired by Asian gardens,
made with exotic plants or, in the case of dry ones, made of gravel,
stone blocks and sand, as well as artistic installations made of
plant waste, inspired by the world of insects, were viewed online.
The exhibitions in the following years brought
new elements from Asian culture to the attention of visitors, for
example, plant and animal symbols in 2022, elements from Asian philosophy
in 2023. They were also exhibited in a diorama where habitats for
species that show impressive adaptations to the environment are
suggested, representative specimens from the Bromeliaceae family,
which also includes the pineapple.
Between 14-28 December 2024, you are invited to visit the painting exhibition entitled "Paradise of flowers", prepared by Ana Maria PARASCA (student at the Faculty of Visual Arts and Design) within "George Enescu" National University of Arts from Iasi. The author exhibits works with a floral theme, also inspired by the culture of Australian natives.
The exhibition located in the lobby of the New Greenhouse Complex
can be visited daily, between 9 am and 4 pm.
AUTUMN FLOWERS 2024 - exhibition of flowers, fruits and seeds, the 48th edition , organized in the outdoor sections and in the greenhouses complex, will be open to the public, starting on October 26, at 10:00, on which occasion, young talents from the "Octav Bancila" National College of Art in Iasi will give an artistic and musical moment: Alexia SAHAIDAC (soprano), coordinator Professor Veaceslav BÎNZARI, Iarina LEAHU (mezzo-soprano), coordinator Professor Diana NEACSU and the STRADIVARI QUARTET, with the following composition: Bogdan LAZAR - violin 1, Ana Ioana PARASCHIV - violin 2, Alin Andrei STIRBU - viola, Ioana BOANCA - violoncello, coordinator Professor Virgil POPA, Conductor of the Iasi Youth Orchestra.
On the occasion of current edition, under the title of Plant Allegories, visitors are invited to meditation and revelation in the outdoor spaces and in the greenhouses complex, where are exhibited stands with chrysanthemums or with fruit and seed samples, which come from the scientific collections of the Botanical Garden.
The allegories with flowers, fruits and seeds are expressed with great imagination, in various symbols, by the staff of the Botanical Garden, in which the undeniable links between man and nature can be found. Plants have always held the attention of the peoples of the world, therefore they are found in various interpretations, in rituals and popular traditions, in myths and legends, being considered an inexhaustible source of inspiration for all genres of art and literary creations. Certain plant species are associated with essential moments in the human life cycle, or with types of human personalities, which are associated with their characteristics.
The vibrant colors, the discreet fragrance, the ephemerality of flowers are aspects that reflect the beauty and the fragility of life. The diversity of shapes and designs found on seeds are associated with the perpetual change and their incredible power of transformation, to create new individuals, for the perpetuation of plant species. That is why the seed is respected, it is found in various forms of artistic expression, representing a source of inspiration in parables and fables, or it can be the currency of exchange or model for applications in biotechnology.
In this regard, 463 taxa from the Chrysanthemum genus are presented, including Romanian and international varieties of chrysanthemums, both for cut flowers (Chrysanthemum grandiflorum) which bring together 226 horticultural varieties cultivated in greenhouses and solariums, as well as 212 varieties popularly called [in Romanian] “dumitrite” or “tufanele” (Chrysanthemum indicum). Species of the Chrysanthemum genus, in a broad sense, which come from the native flora of various continents, will also be exhibited.
Some varieties of chrysanthemums are managed through special cultivation techniques in the form of a tree, waterfall, pyramid, fan, etc., being exhibited precisely to highlight the availability of this species for classical or modern horticultural practices.
The collection of decorative chili peppers brings together 11 species and subspecies of the genus Capsicum, including the 5 parental taxa, the genitors of most pepper varieties and hybrids: Capsicum annuum, C. baccatum, C. chinense, C. frutescens and C. pubescens, but also wild species, with taxonomic importance: C. chacoense, C. eximium, C. nigrum, C. baccatum var. praetermissum and C. rhomboideum, organized in a separate section.
At this edition, 150 varieties will be exhibited, including 7 taxa newly introduced into the collection: C. annuum
'Hup-Hup', C. annuum 'Jalastar', C. baccatum 'Aji
Mango', C. frutescens 'Thai Orange Hot', C. chinense
'Habanero Yellow', C. chinense 'Habanero Hawaii Beach',
C. chinense 'Biquinho Amarelo'.
Also, on the occasion of this edition, in a specially arranged area, will be exhibited some varieties of peppers considered among the hottest in the world, officially recognized by the World Records Book: C. chinense 'Carolina Reaper' (2,200,000 SHU), C. chinense 'Trinidad Moruga Scorpion' (2,000,000 SHU) and C. chinense '7 Pot Douglah' (1,800,000 SHU), but also the C. chinense 'Aji Charapita' variety, considered the most expensive hot pepper in the world, appreciated from a culinary perspective, due to its special aroma.
In the same space will be also presented 19 species and varieties of the genus Solanum, taxa with scientific and economic importance, toxic and medicinal species; among the exhibited novelties there are the species Solanum carolinense, Solanum seaforthianum, Solanum macrocarpon and Solanum aculeatissimum, perennial species, with different biogeographical origins, which, like many species of the genus, synthesize large quantities of alkaloids toxic to mammals if ingested, but which also have therapeutic potential.
In the greenhouses complex, in a specially prepared space, will be exhibited 230 species and varieties of decorative pumpkins, noggins, and gourds, including the wax pumpkin or the winter melon, the snake gourd, vegetal sponges, African and Mexican spiky cucumbers, the vegetable insulin or the bitter cucumber, species originating from Asia, South America and Africa, which have ornamental, food and medicinal importance.
In the outdoor spaces will be exhibited numerous specimens of decorative and edible cabbage, brought together in a collection including 110 taxa, with new dwarf ornamental hybrids from the 'Kamome Bright Red' and 'Kamome Bright White' series, as well as 'Crane Ruby', 'Crane Feather King', 'Crane Feather Queen', 'Crane Ruffle', 'Glamour', 'Maribor', 'Chidori Red' or 'Chidori White'.
Visitors of all ages will also notice the topiary art pieces, representing various insects, made from natural materials, preferably dry wicker branches, which highlight the creativity of the employees in creating new handcrafted elements.
The price of a ticket is 20 lei (individual), 15 lei for students and pensioners, and also for groups of at least 10 people. The ticket is 5 lei for pupils (individual or group, including companions, teachers and parents).
The outdoor sections as well as the greenhouses of the Botanical Garden can be visited until November 17, 2024, daily, between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.
Taking photos is free of charge.
Specialists from the Botanical Garden and from the Laboratory for Fungal Research from the Faculty of Biology of the "Alexandru Ioan Cuza" University in Iasi, in collaboration with the Subcommittee for the Protection of Natural Monuments of the Romanian Academy - Iasi Branch, are organizing, starting from Saturday, October 12, 2024, 09:00, until Sunday, October 13, 2024, 18:00, the annual exhibition with edible and toxic fungi species, collected from the sections of the Botanical Garden, from the forests around Iasi city, but also from the mountainous area of Neamt and Suceava counties.
On this occasion will be exhibited samples of known and lesser-known mushroom species, which surprise by their shapes, sizes and colors, but also categories that have food, pharmaceutical and ecological importance within the ecosystems in which they live. The species will be accompanied by diagnoses highlighting the main characters that allow avoiding confusion between edible and toxic mushrooms. Also, will be exhibited specimens of the species Amanita phalloides, known as the viper's mushroom, considered the most toxic fungus in Romania, which can be lethal if is accidentally consumed.
The exhibition can be visited in the compartment located at the entrance to the new greenhouses. The entrance price is 15 lei, while for students and retirees, respectively organized groups it is 10 lei. For schoolchildren the ticket is 5 lei.
Taking photos is free of charge.
The 17th edition of the IASI INTERNATIONAL THEATRE FESTIVAL FOR YOUNG AUDIENCE (FITPTI) in the Botanical Garden!
This edition will be an inclusive one, offering, through the events included in the program, not only options for a variety of ages, from preschoolers to adults and seniors, going through all other categories, but also taking into consideration atypical segments.
In the Botanical Garden, Saturday, October 5, 2024, from 1:00 p.m., Folk Reflections (Teatr Uliczny "Scena Kalejdoskop" - Krakow, Poland) and from 6:00 p.m., in the new greenhouses, the comedy We Change the Curtains.
Workshop: NATURAL PROTECTED AREAS – CURRENT STATE AND FUTURE PROSPECTS
Case study: Putna-Vrancea Natural Park
27 - 29 September 2024, Lepşa-Vrancea
The workshop includes presentations and debates attended by members of the Biological Sciences Section, of the Commission for the Protection of Natural Monuments within Romanian Academy and of the Subcommittees for the Protection of Natural Monuments from the Iasi, Cluj-Napoca and Timisoara branches of the Romanian Academy, members of the implementation team of the LIFE 19NAT/RO/000023 project, the Administration of the Putna-Vrancea Natural Park, specialists from the "Mihai Cristea" Plant Genetic Resources Bank of Suceava, from the Faculty of Biology and the "Anastasie Fatu" Botanical Garden of the "Alexandru Ioan Cuza" University from Iasi.
The workshop will be held with the support of the Commission for the Protection of Natural Monuments of the Romanian Academy and the LIFE 19NAT/RO/000023 Project - Conservation of Saproxylic Insects in the Carpathians.
Friday, September 20, 2024, at 7:00 PM, the Gaudium Animae
Cultural Foundation, in collaboration with the "Anastasie Fatu" Botanical Garden of the "Alexandru Ioan Cuza" University in Iasi, invites you again to the Auditorium, for an open-air concert with Razvan Stoica and Andreea Stoica, accompanied by Kamerata Stradivarius, in a program that includes Vivaldi, Bach, Mozart, Rachmaninov and Jenkins.
Razvan Stoica plays the Stradivarius ex-Ernst 1729 violin, which he won at a violin competition for young performers in Salzburg in 2009. Together with Andreea Stoica, a virtuoso pianist of great refinement, the two Stoica brothers form a power duo on the Romanian and international concert stages.
Selection from the concert program: Presented by Catalin Sava, journalist and musicologist
Gabriel Fauré – Après un rêve
Johann Sebastian Bach – Aria pe coarda sol
Niccolò Paganini – La Campanella
Serghei Rahmaninov – Preludiul in do# Op.3 nr.2
Astor Piazzolla – Oblivion
Karl Jenkins – Palladio
The Institute of Romanian Philology "Alexandru Philippide", within the Iasi Branch of the Romanian Academy, in collaboration with the Botanical Garden and the City Hall of Iasi, invites you on August 31, between 11:00 and 20:00, in the Auditorium area of the Botanical Garden, to the celebration dedicated to Romanian Language Day - the celebration of Romanians everywhere.
The event's program includes a series of speeches, conferences, workshops, music and theater performances.
The Cultural Foundation Gaudium
Animae, in collaboration with "Anastasie Fatu" Botanical Garden of the "Alexandru Ioan Cuza" University in Iasi, invites you to the Auditorium, on Monday, June 24, 2024, at 8:30 PM, to the extraordinary concert held by Razvan Stoica, Andreea Stoica and Kamerata Stradivarius.
Razvan Stoica plays the Stradivarius ex-Ernst 1729 violin, which he won at a violin competition for young performers in Salzburg, in 2009. Together with Andreea Stoica, a virtuoso pianist of great refinement, the two Stoica brothers form a power duo on the Romanian and international concert stages.
Baroque Tour Opus 3 is a national tour organized by the two musicians in several cities in Romania, and the outdoor program in Iasi will bring to the music-loving public fascinating pages written by Johann Sebastian Bach and Antonio Vivaldi.
Selection from the concert program: Presented by Catalin Sava, journalist and musicologist
J. S. Bach – Concerto for violin and orchestra in E major
BWV 1042
J. S. Bach – Concerto for violin and orchestra in A minor BWV 1041
J. S. Bach – Concerto for piano and orchestra in D minor BWV 1059R
A. Vivaldi – The string Concerto in D Major RV 121
Free admission in the Botanical Garden for all children on June 1st !
On June 1st, all children, pupils and students will benefit from free entry to the Botanical Garden. On this occasion, they will be able to participate in activities of ecological education and discovery of nature, coordinated by professors and students from the Faculty of Biology of the "Alexandru Ioan Cuza" University in Iasi.
It is an invitation to discover together forms of life that manifest themselves in an urban space much more varied than we can imagine. By better understanding the living world beyond the television, computer, tablet or phone, to which we devote almost all of our free time, we have the chance to rediscover the beauty of simple joys and the desire to live in harmony with nature.
The event will be organized between 10:00-14:00, in the new greenhouses and outdoor sections, where exhibition stands will be displayed for visitors of all ages, who will have the opportunity to discover various aspects of macroscopic and microscopic biology.
Also, members of the Association of Biology Students from Iasi will accompany participants in the activities within the workshops and in the guided tours to learn about the species of plants and animals, terrestrial and aquatic, from the sections of the "Anastasie Fatu" Botanical Garden.
Volunteer students from the Faculty of Biology, researchers and teaching staff from the "Alexandru Ioan Cuza" University of Iasi, members of the Iasi Branch of the Romanian Ornithological Society, invite you to the Celebration dedicated to the Birds Day, on April 1, 2024, at 10:00 a.m., organized in the Botanical Garden.
An ornithological tour will be organized in the outdoor sections with the aim of observing bird species at the beginning of spring.
In the period April 1- April 30, 2024, in the new greenhouses, can be visited a photographic exhibition with known and lesser-known bird species, created in collaboration with the Commission for the Protection of Natural Monuments within the Romanian Academy, the Subcommission for the Protection of Natural Monuments of the Romanian Academy - Iasi Branch, euRespect and Iasi Photographers Club.
Birds Day 2024 takes place according to the following schedule:
• March 31, Delta Moldovei Complex, 10:00 am – ornithological tour dedicated to aquatic birds during the breeding season Ornithological photographic exhibition, author Gabi SANDU
– collaboration with Complex Delta Moldovei
• 1 April – June 5, Agency for Environmental Protection Iasi: photographic exhibition „Birds from Iasi”, collaboration with the Agency for Environmental Protection Iasi
• March 5, Pogor Park and "Vasile Pogor" National Museum of Romanian Literature from Iasi, 10:00 a.m. Conference: „Spring in the world of birds and of the "Vasile Pogor" park"
Activities in the museum’ park: identifying birds by appearance and sound, setting up feeders and nests, in collaboration with "Vasile Pogor" National Museum of Romanian Literature, Iasi
• March 6, Codrii Iasilor, 9:00 a.m.: "Tril in Codrii Iasilor" ornithological tour on the thematic route, collaboration with Codrii Iasilor and Mai bine
• March 7, Copou Park, 10:00 a.m.: installation of new cubes on the panel of the Romanian Ornithological Society; discussions about the ways to identify and protect biodiversity in Copou Park Ornithological photographic exhibition, in collaboration with Clubul Fotografilor Iasi, euRespect
On February 10, 2024, at 11:00 am, the Exotic Plants Exhibition debuts in the Greenhouses Complex of the "Anastasie Fatu" Botanical Garden within the "Alexandru Ioan Cuza" University in Iasi. The exhibition can be visited until March 10, at 5:00 pm.
Initially, the event was dedicated exclusively to the first collection of azaleas and camellias in Romania, and this year, at the 49th edition, these plants are presented in different arrangements inspired by nature or by the imagination of the institution's employees, who take care of them and diversify them permanently. Thus, unique exhibits were made from plant elements which, associated with conifers from the Araucaria, Chamaecyparis, Juniperus and Podocarpus genera, highlight new landscape approaches that emphasize these collections. As flower arrangements, but also as an evolution over time, these specimens that belong to 28 taxa of the Rhododendron genus and 14 taxa of the Camellia genus, stand out by their remarkable dimensions of over 2 m, but especially by the chromatic diversity of the flowers.
From the same group of plants with impressive adaptations, this time to drought conditions or to direct sunlight, belong species of the Bromeliaceae family, endemic to South America, which are grouped for the first time in a diorama suggesting the habitat where they live. For the public there are presented terricolous species of the genera Bromelia, Fosterella and Puya, saxicolous species belonging to the genera Pitcairnia and Vriesea, or epiphytes from the genera Acanthostachys, Aechmea, Chryptanthus and Tillandsia, often called air plants, precisely because of their adaptations to grow in the absence of soil.
Within these plant arrangements, a special place is reserved for vertical vegetal walls, on which are represented symbols from Japanese philosophy and traditions. These walls were made by combining 6 taxa, different in shape, color and texture of leaves: Begonia bowerae Tiger, Fittonia albivenis - variety from the Argyroneura group, Peperomia caperata Red Ripple, Pilea microphylla, P. spruceana Silver Tree and Saxifraga stolonifera.
The outdoor sections and greenhouses will be open for visit between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM
The price of a ticket is 15 lei, while for students, pensioners and groups (minimum 10 people) it is 10 lei, respectively 5 lei for pupils, individually or in groups (minimum 10 people), including for organizers, teachers and parents accompanying them.
Taking photos is free of charge.
We recommend that you use the entrance in the Botanical Garden from Dumbrava Rosie Street no. 7.
