London 'plant parents' adopt a piece of historic Barbican urban jungle

LONDON: London’s Barbican Conservatory — a unique tropical escape above the city streets — was on Sunday transformed into an ​unlikely adoption centre, allowing hundreds of carefully screened “plant parents” to ‌take home cuttings of its rare flora.

Nestling among a concrete Brutalist backdrop, described as “one of the modern wonders of the world” by the late Queen ​Elizabeth, the conservatory houses 800 species, including some of the world’s ​most threatened plants, and is set for major renovation.

Ahead of ⁠that closure, plant enthusiasts were given the chance to take ​a small piece of that urban jungle home.

Plant lovers queued to ​adopt one of 500 cuttings propagated from plants growing inside the conservatory before the venue closes at the end of the year.

The adoption process came with ​conditions, however. Prospective plant parents had to fill out a form ​explaining, or even drawing, where their cutting would live. They were encouraged to ‌give ⁠it a name and track down its parent plant among the conservatory’s greenery.

Successful applicants left with a care card detailing the watering, humidity and light requirements.

The cuttings included favourites such as Swiss cheese ​plants, spider plants ​and arrowhead vines, ⁠alongside purple heart, a striking species native to Mexico.

Heather Ring, co-founder of Wayward Plants, which helped ​organise the event, said applicants had embraced the unusual ​adoption ⁠process.

“These plants are so charismatic, and these acts of care are really special,” she said.

Lydia Goldberg, who lives on the Barbican estate, named ⁠her newly ​adopted Swedish ivy cutting “Nico”.

“The renovations will ​take few years, but it’s going to look so gorgeous once it’s done,” Goldberg ​said.