Top 10 Greenhouses Across the World

While cacti thrive in arid, hot conditions, orchids prefer humid, tropical environments. Each plant has its optimal growing setting, but nature doesn't always cooperate. To provide the best conditions, climate-controlled structures such as greenhouses, conservatories, or orangeries were invented. Typically, these structures are built with metal, wood, or plastic frames, covered by clear panels of glass or polycarbonate, a heat-resistant plastic. These panels help trap sunlight, warming the interior, though gardeners must manage ventilation to maintain the right temperature for plant growth.

Originally, greenhouses were created to enhance food production. While they continue to serve this purpose, many are now also used to cultivate decorative plants, for landscaping, or for educational reasons. In this article, we'll take a closer look at 10 greenhouses from around the world, beginning with the United States.

10: The New York Botanical Garden

The Bronx, a borough of New York City, is home to The New York Botanical Garden, which features two greenhouses among its vast array of gardens. The Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, the largest Victorian-style glasshouse in the United States, was inaugurated in 1902 and restored in 1997. This conservatory is divided into several biomes, each housing a variety of plant species, including an impressive collection of palms [source: Warren].

Opened in 2005, The Nolen Greenhouses for Living Collections at The New York Botanical Garden spans 43,000 square feet (around 3,995 square meters). This cutting-edge structure boasts climate-control features such as open-roof ventilation, shade curtains, and radiant heat flooring [source: The New York Botanical Garden]. The greenhouse hosts eight distinct growing areas, showcasing collections of aquatic plants, desert plants, orchids, and ferns [source: The New York Botanical Garden].

9: Walt Disney World

If you're looking for a fun, educational greenhouse experience with a kid-friendly atmosphere, head to Florida. Inside the Epcot Theme Park at Walt Disney World, The Land pavilion features a collection of four greenhouses. Visitors can explore the Tropics Greenhouse, the Temperate Greenhouse, the Production Greenhouse, and the Creative Greenhouse during the 14-minute Living with the Land ride. Highlights include Mickey Mouse-shaped pumpkins, a 59-foot (about 18 meters) tall peach palm, and soil-free sweet potatoes [source: Walt Disney World News].

For a more comprehensive look at the greenhouses and the science behind the horticultural practices used by Disney’s scientists, you can purchase tickets for the one-hour Behind the Seeds tour.

8: Eden Project

Located across the Atlantic Ocean in the United Kingdom, the Eden Project is a horticultural marvel built in a former quarry. Opened fully to the public in 2001, this attraction was created in a china clay quarry in Cornwall, England [source: Eden Project]. The Eden Project's main features include greenhouses that resemble large, flexible, transparent domes rising from the earth. The Rainforest Biome is maintained at approximately 90 percent humidity and 75 degrees Fahrenheit (24 degrees Celsius) to simulate an ideal tropical climate [source: Eden Project]. Standing taller than the Statue of Liberty at 50 meters (around 164 feet), the Rainforest Biome hosts over 1,000 plant species, including banana plants, tropical ferns, and even the rare Titan arum, or corpse flower, known for its overpowering odor [source: U.S. Department of the Interior and Eden Project].

The other enclosed greenhouse at the Eden Project houses the Mediterranean Biome, which replicates the climate of regions such as South Africa and California. Visitors can see a variety of plants thriving in these warm, temperate conditions, including olive trees, orange trees, and cork plants [source: Eden Project].

The next greenhouse on our list is located in the United Kingdom, so you won't have to travel too far to visit it.

7: RHS Garden Wisley

Managed by the renowned Royal Horticultural Society, the RHS Garden Wisley is the society's flagship garden. Situated in Surrey, southeast England, its most notable feature is the impressive Glasshouse. This greenhouse was built to mark the Royal Horticultural Society's bicentenary and was formally opened by Queen Elizabeth herself [source: Royal Horticultural Society].

The Glasshouse is set on a peninsula in the center of a lake, surrounded by various outdoor plantings. The 40-foot (12-meter) structure is divided into three distinct climate zones [source: Mahr]. The tropical zone features a large waterfall and a pond with water lilies, the moist temperate zone includes tree ferns and palms, while the dry temperate zone houses cacti and succulents [source: Royal Horticultural Society].

6: Glass City

The Netherlands is renowned for its tulips, wooden clogs, and windmills, but it's also famous for its greenhouses. One region in particular, known as the Glass City, stands out for its high concentration of greenhouses. This area, called Westland, is situated on the western side of the country, between The Hague and Rotterdam. Westland is one of the oldest and largest greenhouse-growing regions in the Netherlands, specializing in crops like sweet peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, and lettuce [source: The Royal Netherlands Embassy]. Over 50 percent of the country's fruits and vegetables are grown in greenhouses [source: The Royal Netherlands Embassy].

Now, let’s head to a neighboring country in Europe.

5: Royal Greenhouses at Laeken

Just over the border in Belgium, an elegant series of greenhouses graces the northern outskirts of Brussels. Situated on the grounds of the Royal Castle at Laeken, these greenhouses span 6 acres (2.5 hectares) and were commissioned by King Leopold II, designed by architect Alphonse Balat. The project took over 30 years to complete [source: The Belgian Monarchy and VisitFlanders]. Constructed from iron and glass, these 19th-century greenhouses boast a large collection of camellias, azaleas, palm trees, and various rare plant species [source: The Belgian Monarchy and VisitFlanders]. The Royal Greenhouses of Laeken are open to the public for three weeks each spring [source: The Belgian Monarchy].

Our next greenhouse is located much farther north, in Scandinavia.

4: City Winter Garden

In Finland’s capital, Helsinki, a verdant escape offers refuge in the heart of the city during the cold winter months. The City Winter Garden shelters more than 200 different plant species across three distinct greenhouse rooms [source: City of Helsinki, Public Works Department]. The palm room is home to palms and the greenhouse’s oldest residents—camellias that have been growing for over a century. To see the camellias in bloom, visit from October to February [source: VisitHelsinki]. The western room contains cycads and palmettos, while the final room features cacti and other desert plants [source: City of Helsinki, Public Works Department].

For our next greenhouse adventure, we head far south to India.

3: Lalbagh Botanical Garden

Bangalore, the capital of Karnataka in India, is often called the Garden City due to its abundance of parks and green spaces [source: de Bruyn]. In the heart of the city lies the Lalbagh Botanical Garden. Initially a private 40-acre (16-hectare) garden established by the 18th-century Mysore ruler Hyder Ali, it has since expanded to encompass over 240 acres (97 hectares) [source: The Directorate of Horticulture]. The garden is home to about 1,800 plant species, including ficus, bamboo, ferns, lotus, magnolia, and cypress plants [sources: The Directorate of Horticulture and Caine].

One of the garden's standout features is the Glass House. Completed in 1889, it was designed to resemble the glass-and-iron Crystal Palace in London, England [sources: BBC and The Directorate of Horticulture]. Today, it is most famous for hosting biannual flower shows inside its stunning structure.

2: Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden is located in South Africa, approximately 13 kilometers (8 miles) from Cape Town's city center. Set against the eastern slope of Table Mountain, it is one of the oldest botanical gardens in South Africa, founded in 1913. Covering around 528 hectares (1,305 acres), it is also one of the country's largest [source: South Africa Tourism]. What sets it apart is its exclusive focus on showcasing indigenous South African plants [source: South African National Biodiversity Institute].

A standout feature of Kirstenbosch is the Botanical Society Conservatory, which opened in 1996. This 17,600-square-foot (1,600-square-meter) facility comprises a central room with four smaller adjoining rooms [source: van Jaarsveld]. Each section of the conservatory represents different climatic regions of South Africa, including the northern region. Visitors can see plants like the baobab tree, succulents, bulbs, ferns, aloe, and Fynbos, a unique vegetation type native to the Cape floral region [source: South African National Biodiversity Institute].

Next, we travel further south to the icy expanse of Antarctica.

1: South Pole Food Growth Chamber

Located within the newly established Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, the South Pole Food Growth Chamber was inaugurated in January 2008 [source: The National Science Foundation and Sorenson]. While it isn't technically a greenhouse due to its lack of sunlight for growing plants, it serves as a closed environment designed for plant cultivation [source: The Associated Press].

Delivered to the South Pole in 2004, the chamber employs artificial lighting, carbon dioxide, and hydroponics, which uses nutrient-rich water instead of soil for plant growth [source: Barber]. The chamber, measuring approximately 18 feet by 28 feet (6 meters by 9 meters), produces a variety of crops, from lettuce to hot peppers [sources: Barber and McGinley]. It generates between 60 and 100 pounds (27 to 45 kilograms) of produce weekly, supplying food for the station's staff [source: Sorenson]. In addition to food, the chamber offers greenery and sunlight, providing the staff with a bit of respite during the long Antarctic winters [source: Sorenson].

Researchers are hopeful that the knowledge gained from this greenhouse will help in developing similar systems for space exploration, particularly for environments like Mars [source: Sorenson].

Greenhouses, whether intended for ornamental purposes or food production, provide controlled environments where plants can flourish across diverse countries around the globe.