The Botanic Garden Zuidas ( Dutch: Botanische tuin Zuidas) is a

botanical garden A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens, an ...

belonging to Vrije Universiteit in

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

. It was established in 1967 for the purpose of education and research for the Biology faculty. It is situated behind the University Medical Centre, and includes a garden area of about of which about is occupied by glass-houses. Since 1988, the garden no longer has an educational function, but the property is still owned and supported by the university. The collection includes about 10,000 species, such as varieties of hardy

fern A fern (Polypodiopsida or Polypodiophyta ) is a member of a group of vascular plants (plants with xylem and phloem) that reproduce via spores and have neither seeds nor flowers. The polypodiophytes include all living pteridophytes except t ...

cacti A cactus (, or less commonly, cactus) is a member of the plant family Cactaceae, a family comprising about 127 genera with some 1750 known species of the order Caryophyllales. The word ''cactus'' derives, through Latin, from the Ancient Greek ...

and

succulent In botany, succulent plants, also known as succulents, are plants with parts that are thickened, fleshy, and engorged, usually to retain water in arid climates or soil conditions. The word ''succulent'' comes from the Latin word ''sucus'', meani ...

s. There is also a collection of

carnivorous plant Carnivorous plants are plants that derive some or most of their nutrients from trapping and consuming animals or protozoans Protozoa (singular: protozoan or protozoon; alternative plural: protozoans) are a group of single-celled eukaryot ...

s and

orchid Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Along with the Asteraceae, they are one of the two largest families of flowering ...

s. The garden also accommodates a collection of trees, shrubs and tub plants, among other things. There is international collaboration with over 500 botanical gardens and numerous

Biblical garden Biblical gardens are Horticulture, cultivated collections of plants that are named in the Bible. They are a type of theme garden that botanical gardens, public parks, and private gardeners maintain. They are grown in many parts of the world, with ma ...

s worldwide. The garden's existence was threatened in 2009, when plans for an expansion of the university hospital called for it to be removed. In 2010, after widespread popular protest, the VU announced the garden could remain. Since then, the hospital has changed its building plans and will now construct its new buildings around the garden, with the garden itself acting as a

courtyard A courtyard or court is a circumscribed area, often surrounded by a building or complex, that is open to the sky. Courtyards are common elements in both Western and Eastern building patterns and have been used by both ancient and contemporary ...

. The garden's accessibility will be improved so that hospital patients will be able to enjoy it. In 2016 the garden changed its name from ''Hortus Botanicus Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam'' (which was often abbreviated to ''VU-Hortus'') to its current name, after the better known

Zuidas The Zuidas (literally ''South Axis'' in Dutch) is a rapidly developing business district in the city of Amsterdam in the Netherlands. The Zuidas is also known as the 'Financial Mile'. It lies between the rivers Amstel and ''Schinkel'' along the ...

development area it is in.

References

External links

Official website
{{Authority control Botanical gardens in the Netherlands Parks in Amsterdam Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam Amsterdam-Zuid