Posted: February 12, 2026
Welcome back to the Conservatory’s construction updates. Many of our members, visitors and followers are curious about where the plants from the John F. Wolfe Palm House and Dorothy M. Davis Showhouse are and how a few of the specimens will remain in place throughout construction. Many of these plants were relocated to the Conservatory’s Greenhouse, but three specimens will remain in the Palm House.
The most notable specimen remaining in place and thought of as the heart of the Palm House, is the Fiddle-Leaf Fig (Ficus lyrata). Preparation for the fig for construction began two years ago. Our partner, Ahlum & Arbor Tree Preservation, pruned the fig twice a year to promote lush interior growth, and the horticulture team at the Conservatory has provided expert care including watering, fertilizing and horticultural oil sprays to assist with pest eradication.
The fig’s roots were air spaded, a technique that uses air to remove soil from around the roots. This is a noninvasive way to explore root growth and what direction they are growing so clean cuts to roots can occur as opposed to being ripped out by construction.
The other two specimens remaining in place are the Traveller’s Palm (Ravenala madagascariensis) and the Belmore Sentry Palm (Howea belmoreana). The Belmore Sentry Palm has a protective blanket around its trunk and is tied to the wall for stabilization. This will keep it from leaning when construction begins, removing the wall and floor around it.
The temperature is extremely important for all three of these specimens during construction, especially in these cold months. Staff maintain temperature checks around the clock to ensure it stays in the low to mid 70’s. As a precaution, supplemental heaters have been brought in if temperatures drop below the low 60’s.
And finally, all three specimens get weekly watering and weekly “baths” to keep the construction debris and dust off their leaves.
