Chocolate is made from the seeds of the cacao tree (Theobroma cacao, Malvaceae) and anyone who loves chocolate will understand why in 1753 Carl von Linné named the cacao tree Theobroma (= "food of the gods").

The East African miracle berry (Synsepalum dulcificum, Sapotaceae) contains the active ingredient "miraculin", which makes our sense of taste go crazy and makes sour or bitter things suddenly taste sugary sweet.

The noni fruit (Morinda citrifolia, Rubiaceae) was already regarded as a universal medicinal plant by the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean, but orthodox physicians believe that the effects attributed to the disgusting-tasting noni juice are exaggerated.

The flowers of the tree birthwort (Aristolochia arborea) from Central and South America show an astonishing adaptation: they have a structure in the centrea that mimics the looks and odour of a mushroom  to attract fungus gnats for pollination.

The shell flower (Pavonia strictiflora, Malvaceae) grows as a shrub in the tropical rainforests of Brazil and has two special features that are often found in tropical plants. Firstly, the flowers spring directly from the trunk or thick branches, as with cocoa or star fruit. Secondly, the flowers show a division of the flowering process into a temporally separate female and male phase. This makes self-pollination more difficult and encourages cross-pollination.

The Panama hat plant (Carludovica palmata) looks like a palm tree but belongs to the Cyclanthaceae family (relatives of screw pines). Unlike "true" palms, it does not develop a woody trunk. Its leaves are used to make the famous Panama hats.

The rose cactus (Rhodocactus grandifolius, Cactaceae) is a shrubby or tree-like species from Brazil. Unusually for cacti, it still has "normal" broad leaves.

The Mexican tulip poppy (Hunnemannia fumariifolia, Papaveraceae) comes from the desert regions of southern and central Mexico, where it grows at altitudes between 1500 and 2000 metres. Its yellow flowers adorn our desert house for months on end.

The golden barrel cactus (Kroenleinia grusonii, syn. Echinocactus grusonii, Cactaceae), popularly known as the "mother-in-law's chair", is cultivated by the millions but is threatened with extinction in the wild. The species is only known from two to four locations in the Mexican states of Hidalgo and Querétaro.

This small Madagascan tree belongs to the sesame family (Pedaliaceae) and forms a large tuber at the base of its trunk. Its beautiful yellow flowers are followed by ferociously spiny fruits.

With its thick, fleshy stems, the wild grape (Cyphostemma juttae) does not resemble a grapevine, but it is actually related to it and belongs to the same plant family, the Vitaceae.

The beautiful rosemary grevillea (Grevillea rosmariniifolia, Proteaceae) gives an impression of the extraordinary flora of Australia. Because of its often very attractive, bird-pollinated flowers, Grevillea is the most cultivated genus in Australia.

The Australian grass tree (Xanthorrhoea australis, Asphodelaceae) is a typical Australian plant that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Grass trees grow very slowly and can live for several hundred years. Their thick, corky trunks are adapted to the frequent bush fires in Australia.

The bird of paradise flower (Strelitzia reginae, Strelitziaceae) only occurs in South Africa. Its bizarre, colourful and long-lasting flowers have given this jewel of the South African flora its common name and made it one of the most popular cut flowers in the world.

With a height of up to 12 metres, the wild banana, also called "giant white bird of paradise" (Strelitzia nicolai, Strelitziaceae) is much larger than its close relative, the bird of paradise flower (Strelitzia reginae), which grows to a maximum of 2 metres.

In its native South Africa, wild garilc (Tulbaghia violacea, Amaryllidaceae) is used in the same way as its close relative, our kitchen garlic (Allium sativum). Its edible leaves and flowers have a very similar odour and taste.

The tickberry (Osteospermum moniliferum, Asteraceae) flowers like a normal member of the sunflower family (Asteraceae), but its fleshy fruits are unique within this family, where almost all members have dry, nut-like fruits. The sweet fruits are edible and serve as food for the Khoisan.

The Kei apple (Dovyalis caffra, Salicaceae), named after the Kei River in the Eastern Cape province, is an evergreen, thorny shrub or small tree up to 8 metres high, cultivated for its edible, sweet and sour tasting fruit.

The Tertiary pond is one of the most beautiful places in the Botanic Garden. It gives an impression of the ‘exotic’ past of Central Europe, because during the Tertiary period (approx. 70 - 2 million years ago) the climate in Central Europe was subtropically warm. With average annual temperatures of 22 °C (Bochum today: 11 °C), many species grew here which are now extinct in Europe, but still occur in North America and East Asia.

Playfully showing the different shapes and colours annuals and herbaceous perennials, our herbaceous bed looks like a firework display of flowers. The inspiration for this was drawn from the wild and natural-looking gardens of the famous Dutch garden and landscape designer Piet Oudolf.

When we think of the sea,  beaches with white sand dunes immediately spring to mind. But dunes are not just beautiful scenery. They are also habitats for rare species and natural coastal defences. Our dune display shows how an initially young white "embryo dune" gradually becomes a grey "fixed dune" and finally a brown "mature dune" as the vegetation cover develops over the years.

The use of plants as medicine is as old as mankind itself.  You will find many familiar medicinal plants in our medicinal garden. Even in the 21st century, 80 per cent of people worldwide still rely at least in part on plants for their medical care.