👀Did you know this? The world’s most expensive spice starts with a tiny autumn flower: 𝘊𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘶𝘴 𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘶𝘴. Unlike many crocuses, it flowers in autumn. And hidden inside each purple flower are three long, red stigmas. These are harvested by hand and dried to make saffron.
Because every flower produces only three, a lot of flowers are needed for a little spice.

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👀Wist jij dit? Eén van de duurste specerijen ter wereld begint bij een klein herfstbloeiend bloemetje: 𝘊𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘶𝘴 𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘶𝘴.
In tegenstelling tot veel andere krokussen bloeit deze soort in de herfst. Verborgen in elke paarse bloem zitten drie lange, rode stampers. Die worden met de hand geoogst en gedroogd om saffraan van te maken. Omdat elke bloem maar drie stampers oplevert, zijn er heel wat bloemen nodig voor een klein beetje specerij.

🌧️Rainy day? The Hortus is the best place to visit. Wander through our greenhouses, discover tropical plants and let the rain tap against the glass while you explore a world of green.💚

🍂 Why do leaves change colour in autumn?
All summer long, leaves are busy making food through photosynthesis. Chlorophyll - the green pigment in leaves - captures sunlight and gives them their green colour.
But as the days get shorter and temperatures drop, deciduous trees start preparing for winter. They stop producing chlorophyll, and as the green fades, other pigments become visible: yellow and orange carotenoids, which were there all along. Eventually, the tree seals off the connection to the leaf, reclaims as many nutrients as possible, and the leaf falls.🌳🍁

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🍂 Waarom verkleuren bladeren in de herfst?
De hele zomer zijn bladeren druk bezig met fotosynthese. Het groene pigment chlorofyl vangt zonlicht op en geeft bladeren hun groene kleur.
Maar wanneer de dagen korter worden en de temperatuur daalt, bereiden loofbomen zich voor op de winter. Ze maken geen nieuw chlorofyl meer aan en zodra het groen verdwijnt, worden andere pigmenten zichtbaar: gele en oranje carotenoïden, die de hele tijd al in het blad aanwezig waren.
Uiteindelijk sluit de boom de verbinding met het blad af, haalt er nog zoveel mogelijk voedingsstoffen uit en valt het blad af.🌳🍁

🍆We still love him though. Congratulations @hortusleiden on your beautiful and smelly penis plant (𝘈𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘶𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘶𝘴-𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘷𝘢𝘦)!
Our `penis plants` (𝘈𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘶𝘴 𝘷𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘴 and 𝘈𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘶𝘴 𝘬𝘰𝘯𝘫𝘢𝘤) may be smaller, but they`re pretty spectacular in their own right.
A. variabilis is known for its beautifully mottled, highly variable stem, while A. konjac has a striking spotted stem and an enormous, intricately divided leaf.

📍Tropical greenhouse

Pretty, delicate, and surprisingly useful. 🌺🌿
𝘏𝘪𝘣𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘶𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘴, also known as 𝗸𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗳, is grown for the long, strong fibres in its stems, which can be used to make paper, rope, textiles and other materials.

🐍Something is rattling in the greenhouse… The aptly named 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲𝘀𝗻𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘁 or 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿 (𝘊𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘢 𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘢) is native to tropical Central and South America.
The unusual, overlapping bracts resemble the rattling tail of a rattlesnake - which inspired the plant’s name. Its actual flowers are much smaller and emerge from between the bracts.

📍Tropical greenhouse