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The Linnean House Built in 1882 by Henry Shaw, the Linnean House is the oldest greenhouse in continuous operation west of the Mississippi River. It is named in honor of the famed Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778), the creator of the standard binomial (“two names”) system of naming plants and animals. The conservatory originally overwintered citrus trees, tree ferns, palms, and other tender plants in pots that were moved out into the Garden during the summer months. After World War I, the Linnean House was renovated: the half-glass, half-slate roof was converted to all glass, and soil was brought in to create sloped landscape beds. Rare conifers, rhododendrons, azaleas, and heaths were planted, and the central water feature was created out of native limestone and fashioned to look like a natural spring along the Meramec River. A twisted tree stump, growing around a large boulder, sat atop the spring. The much beloved little mermaid statue—Amphitrite by Wheeler Williams—that now sits in the grotto was not added until 1986. After a severe hailstorm in 1927 caused substantial damage to the glass, the roof was changed to one-third slate and two-thirds glass, as it is today. About this time, camellias began to be displayed in the house. Some of these original camellias are thought to have been the “Belgian Refugees,” plants shipped from Belgium in 1915 for safekeeping during the war. A few of the largest trees in the house today date to this time, but the majority of our current camellias were planted in the 1960s and 70s. The last renovation of the Linnean House occurred in 1980, and today the structure is in need of repair. For more information on how you can help with this historic preservation, please contact the Office of Institutional Advancement.
Camellias at the Missouri Botanical Garden |
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