The Musehagen has more to offer then just outdoor plantbeds. A selection of plants is also inhabitating two glass-structures. One, the Planthouse, provides different climate zones for plants which thrive in a more consistent or warmer climate. The other structure is home to the dandy waterlillies which need protection due to their fragility.
The Victorian Pond is placed in the Victoria Lawn, where it’s surrounded by Iris-beds, peony-beds, and a handkerchief tree. Around the end of May, the tree’s bract leaves turn white, which resemble white tissue paper. There are a total of three of them in the garden, in which the first one got planted in 1939 and first flowered after 10 years. Since then, they have all flowered every May.
In 2019, the victoria pond got a new glasshouse. This pond is the home of the world's biggest waterlily, Victoria Cruziana, and another waterlily named Auriale Perox. The leaves of the Victoria waterlily could stand a weight of up to 50kg combined. It blossoms over two nights only, on which it is only open at night time. After those two nights, the water lily closes again. Due to its short blossoming, it's a common ritual for some people to visit the pond on their daily stroll across the campus.
Around the pond, some other greenery is grown. Among them is the Ginkgo Biloba, or more commonly known as temple- or maidenhair-tree. This is the highest one in the north and approximately 90 years old. Its yellow leaves are unique among seed plants, being fan-shaped with veins radiating out into the leaf blade. Throughout history, it's been used in traditional medicine, in addition to more recent experiments to see if it can be used as an aid for Alzheimer's Disease.
The Plant House is a greenhouse which was built in 1900-1901. The 10 meter high Palmhouse is the central section of the building, with two low wings and a gardeners working room around it. This tall middle section is to accommodate different palm trees from all over the world. Among them are a banana plant, Musa armeniaca spp., the date palm, phoenix dactylifera, and the Chinese fan palm, Livistona chinensis.
To the left of the main entrance is the tropical house, which houses plants like orchids, peperomias and begonias. Among its collection you can also find all sorts of useful tropical plants such as pineapple, cotton, cocoa, coffee, sugar cane, papyrus and vanilla.
On the other side is the temperate house, which has a typical Mediterranean climate. It’s less humid than the tropical house, and therefore houses a collection of desert plants, such as cacti, which can showcase how different families and genera have adapted to drought. The middle section contains mainly shrubs and small trees, like the bluish Eucalyptus from Australia. Along one of the sides is a glass cage, which houses carnivorous plants like the Dionaea muscipula.
In addition to the different plant beds, there are also a few benches placed around the building, intended for daily use. Sadly, the planthouse has been closed down for four years now, due to being a safety hazard for visitors. The ceiling and rigging must be fixed to be accessible again. For now, the Muséhagen is awaiting a full renovation of the whole building.
