January 6

Fredrick Meijer Gardens

While at Fredrick Meijer Gardens, I walked through each of the rooms looking for different plants that had a scent to them. I should let you now that I do not have a very good sense of smell, so I though a lot of the smells were weak, but that could just be me.  I always like going to the gardens to see all the different plants. I wish it wasn’t so cold out otherwise I would have walked around outside more. While I was there they were working in the Tropical Conservatory so parts of it were closed off. I was not able to see the orchid wall. After walking through each room, I did walk around outside for a little while. I then returned to the different plants, but I did not feel like any of the smells changed. I listed below some of the plants that I smelled along with other plants that I thought were interesting. 

Allspice Tree

            Pimenta dioica, Myrataeae

-       The tree smelled like cinnamon to me.  It is suppose to smell like a mixture of cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg, but I could really only smell a cinnamon scent.  It was a very pleasant smell and it reminds me of Christmas time.  I did not know that I had to break a leave off, but I rubbed one of the broken leaves on my hand to smell it. It was a weak scent, but that might have been because I did not take one from the tree.

-       It was located in the Tropical Conservatory.  It grows in Central and South America. (http://www.buzzle.com/articles/allspice-tree.html)

Firebush

            Hamelia patens, Rubiaceae

-       The aroma was very weak, but it was pleasant.

-       It was located in the Tropical Conservatory.  It is native to the subtropics in South America. 

Shooting Star

            Clerodendrum guadriloculore, Verbenaceae, Tropic and Sub-tropic regions

-       It was a sweet smell, and it was pleasant. I thought it was kind of a weak smell. It was more of a cool mint smell.  It seemed refreshing. 

-       It was located in the Tropical Conservatory. It is native to the tropic and sub tropic regions. 

Orange Jessamine

            Murraya Paniculata, Rugaceae, Asia to Australia

-       It had a sweet, flowery smell. It was a weaker smell, but very pleasant.  It reminded me of flowers.  I had come back to this smell after I stepped outside and it smelled the same. 

-       It was located in the Tropical Conservatory and it is native to Asia and Australia.  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murraya_paniculata)

Aechmea

            Aechmea (Little Harv), Bromeliaceae, Cultivated Ornamental

-       I picked this plant because I thought it looked interesting. I could not really smell any scent from it.  One thing I found out about this plant is that there are 255 species of Aechmea. 

-       It was located in the Tropical Conservatory.  Most of the species are native throughout Mexico and South America.  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aechmea)

Tropical Pitcher plant

            Nepenthes Maxima

-       I picked this plant because I thought it looker really cool.  I thought the buds or flowers that came off in the shape of a pitcher were so interesting. I have never seen anything like it before.

-       This plant was located in the Carnivorous room.  It is native to New Guinea. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nepenthes_maxima)v

Peacock Echeveria

            Echeveria percockii, crassuiaceae, Mexico

-     This plant was located in the Arid room and is native to Mexico. I thought it was an interesting looking plant.