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Oulun yliopiston kasvitieteellinen puutarha
Biologian laitos
PL 3000, 90014 OULUN YLIOPISTO

UNIVERSITY OF OULU BOTANICAL GARDENS AND MUSEUM

The purpose of the Gardens

The gardens lie on the shore of Lake Kuivasjärvi at the north end of the Linnanmaa campus. They constitute an integral part of the Department of Biology at the University, and thus their main purpose is to provide living plant material, experimental plots and practical help for botanical teaching and research in the University. But at the same time they serve as an important educational resource for schools and a recreation area for the public. A task of increasing importance is the acquisition and experimental cultivation of plants of different provenances, especially trees and shrubs, to test their suitability for ornamental purposes in northern Finland.

Foundation and construction

The gardens were moved to their present site from Ainola Park in the city centre in summer 1983. The small-scale lakes and hills had to be constructed artificially, for the terrain was quite flat previously. The total area of the gardens is 16 ha, of which 10 ha has been fenced off and divided into sections by means of pathways and lawns. The pyramid-shaped display greenhouses, covering an area of 730 m2, were designed by the architect's office of Kari Virta, which has been responsible for all the buildings of Oulu University. These greenhouses of steel construction and covered with cellular plastic are of a shape which allows plants of different heights to be grown together without overshadowing each other. Heat, humidity, ventilation and light are regulated automatically. The building connected to these pyramids comprises a multipurpose greenhouse, workshops, offices, a meeting room, etc.

Greenhouses

The greenhouses contain over one thousand species from warmer climatic zones. Because of the limited space available, only plants that are of importance for teaching have been selected. In addition to species of systematic or geographical interest there are tropical and subtropical cultivated plants and a collection of popular indoor plants.

The two pyramids are known affectionaly as Romeo and Juliet. Romeo, which is 16 m in height, contains plants from tropical rain forests and areas of subtropical summer rains. It provides a good impression of lianes that climb up the trees and epiphytes that grow on the branches. Of the cultivated plants, you can find bananas, coffee, tea, cocoa, rice and sugar cane. The 14 m high Juliet contains sections for Mediterranean, temperate and succulent plants. There you can find citrus trees, olives, myrtles, Araucarias, etc. The succulent room describes how different families living in arid climates have developed stem or leaf forms that resemble each other. Very peculiar exhibits are the "living stones" (Lithops). Noteworthy specimens in the temperate room are the conifers, among them the giant redwood and sequoia species and the highly decorative cedars. The small pyramid in the hall is reserved principally for ferns, among them a fern tree (Dicksonia) from New Zealand. Insect-eating plants and some orchids and small succulents grow in terraria in the hall.

The outdoor garden

The garden is of the classical type, with seven sections containing a total of about 4000 species. The systematic section has the plants arranged to show their mutual relationships, while that devoted to economic plants groups them according to their use, e.g. cereals, vegetables, aromatics, dyes and fodder plants. There is also a separate section for medicinal plants . The section for native plants contains a variety of biotopes, shores, meadows, fens etc., to show as many of the Finnish plants as possible in the natural habitats.The hills constitute a rock-garden where suitable habitats have been constructed for different types of fjell and mountain plants and for northern plants in general. The plants of Asia, Europe (Fennoscandia separately) and North America are displayed on separate hills.

The hills constitute a rock-garden where suitable habitats have been constructed for different types of fjell and mountain plants and for northern plants in general. The plants of Asia, Europe (Fennoscandia separately) and North America are displayed on separate hills.The most attractive section in summertime is that devoted to ornamental plants which has been planned with a view to stimulating an interest in gardening among the public and to encouraging people to try growing these plants in their own gardens. Several hundred species and cultivars from trees and shrubs to annuals are on show. Ornamental plants have also been planted around the buildings. The largest area is that given over to the arboretum , which runs around the other sections and extends from the road, Kaitoväylä, in the south to the shore of Lake Kuivasjärvi in the north. The arboretum is partly in a natural state, the planted trees and shrubs being arranged alongside the pathways. There are a total of about 300 foreign species. The arboretum is also divided up geographically, with an Asian sector near the street, then Eurasian and European plants around the ponds and an American sector to the north. Apart from these sections there are also two experimental plots and a nursery that are not open to the public.

Exchange agreements, contacts and cooperation

The plant material has been acquired by international seed exchange between botanical gardens. Most of the botanical gardens that with the Botanical Gardens of Oulu University maintains exhange connections, are situated in Europe, Russia, USA and Canada. The gardens are among the northernmost in the whole world and thus have an important role as a provider of northern plant material. The seed list "Index seminum" is sent to 500 gardens.

The staff of the gardens is also taking part in expeditions (e.g. to Sibiria, Altai- and Sayan-mountains) and different meetings and congresses. There are also research cooperation with other countries and intensive relationships with other botanical gardens in Finland. The University Botanical Gardens are affiliated to the International Association of Botanical Gardens (IABG) and Botanical Gardens Conservation International, a subsidiary of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Some data regarding the gardens:

Location: 65° 03'N, 25° 27'E

Altitude: 12.5-14.5 m a.s.l.

Climatic data:

average daily temperature -9.9°C July 16.6°C

maximum temperature February -2.4°C July 27.0°C

minimum temperature February -36.2°C July 5.8°C

average length of growing season (>5°C) 150 days (6.5.-3.10.)

average duration of snow cover 187 days (25.10.-30.4.)

average depth of snow cover 50 cm

highest temperature recorded 32.8°C (1970)

lowest temperature recorded -41.5°C (1966)

How to get there

The Gardens are located on the northern edge of the Linnanmaa university campus, close to Lake Kuivasjärvi. The street address is Kaitoväylä 5. They can be reached by bus, about 15-minute drive from the center of Oulu.