Tallinn Botanic Garden presents hundreds of Saintpaulias

From today to Sunday, 16-19 May, the Tallinn Botanic Garden will host a traditional exhibition of Saintpaulias and other Gesneriaceae. During the exhibition, rare varieties of Saintpaulias and rooted leaf cuttings are sold, and specialists will be on hand to give advice. The jury will choose the most beautiful plant of the exhibition

"We have been organising the Saintpaulias exhibition in collaboration with private collectors for seven years now and interest in these delicate plants is growing year on year. They may not be as well known as roses or orchids, but they are just as fascinating and versatile," said Urmas Laansoo, curator of the exhibition and botanist at Tallinn Botanic Garden. "With the abundance and diversity of the varieties, everyone is sure to find a new favourite for their home," Laansoo believes.

According to the latest data, the Saintpaulia genus of the Gesneriaceae family comprises 20 plant species in East Africa. In their natural habitat, Saintpaulias are found in the Usambara Mountains in Tanzania as well as on the cliffs and mossy rocks of coastal forests in southeastern Kenya. The first Saintpaulia was described in 1893. The abundance and versatility of Saintpaulia varieties is amazing: over 2,000 varieties have been developed. There are varieties with plain, polypetalous, grooved, and greenish flowers. The rarest are Saintpaulias with flowers of grey or yellow colour.

The number of Saintpaulias sold all over the world every year reaches several million, and their value, over 25 million US dollars. The plant genus is named after Baron Walter von Saint Paul-Illaire (1860–1910), who discovered the plant in Tanzania.

The exhibition at the Tallinn Botanic Garden features 250 varieties of Saintpaulias, Streptocarpus and other Gesneriaceae, such as Petrocosmea, Sinningia, Codonanthe, Achimenes, Aeschynanthus, Chirita and others.

The Tallinn Botanical Garden is open daily from 10:00 to 19:00. The Palm House is open from 11:00 to 19:00.

The mission of the Tallinn Botanic Garden is to preserve, develop and introduce rich plant collections and herbaria and carry out research and nature education work to preserve and increase biodiversity. The Tallinn Botanic Garden aims to be an advocate for a modern, environmentally-conscious mindset and the promotion of garden and landscape design.