Inside Booster: Chicago’s Lincoln Park Conservatory meant to be antidote to rapid industrialization

The following interview was published in Inside Booster on April 27, 2016. A link to the article can be found here.

By Peter von Buol

Since first opening in 1890, Chicago’s Lincoln Park Conservatory has been among the city’s top visitor attractions. Operated by the Chicago Park District [CPD], it is open 365 days a year and is one of the few remaining civic attractions which does not charge an admission fee. Each day, thousands of visitors, including many school children, visit Lincoln Park’s tropical oasis.

To keep its many flowers, trees, shrubs and ferns in top condition, the CPD employs a team of expert horticulturists to care for them. Interestingly, many of these plants are not even on display. Some are grown for other facilities, such as the Garfield Park Conservatory. Other plants are grown for display outside during the warm months. Plants displayed in seasonal shows are carefully tended behind-thescenes the rest of the year.

At the time of its construction, the Lincoln Park Conservatory, located at the corner of Fullerton and Stockton Dr., was a meant to be an antidote to Chicago’s rapid industrialization. From its earliest days, the conservatory was meant to bring to Chicago a bit of a tropical paradise.

Among its original collection was a century-old tree known Sago Palm. Not actually a palm, this tree today is on display in the conservatory’s fern room. The historic tree is actually a Cycad (Cycas circinalis), an ancient form of seed plant.

The tree was considered such a significant attraction that many who attended the World’s Fair of 1893 journeyed up north to see the tree.

Floriculturist Victor Amo is among those who care for the conservatory’s many tropical plants. For him, working at the Lincoln Park Conservatory is a matter of stewardship. He cares deeply about the plants entrusted to his care and for those who choose to visit.

“We have so many visitors who come to the conservatory looking for the plants from their homeland. They come from places as far away as India, China, Japan and Latin America to see the plants from their childhood,” Amo said. Amo said he also appreciates being able to work on the conservatories seasonal flower shows. To him, it is more than simply displaying pretty flowers and plants

“For me, it is important we are helping to create memories. People come here for the big holidays and special occasions. We are open 365 days a year. The flower shows are a part of that,” he added.

On April 22, Amo was joined for a day by U.S. Rep. Michael Quigley (5th). The congressman worked alongside Amo and others at the conservatory. Quigley had chosen Earth Day as a way to raise awareness about the conservatory and to also learn firsthand about the conservation work being done at the historic Chicago institution. Behind the scenes, Quigley helped move around some of the larger plants. He also helped out in the public display areas and fed the Koi fish that live one of the conservatory’s indoor ponds.

“Working with the horticulturalists today showed the tremendous commitment the Lincoln Park Conservatory has to the diversification and maintenance of its wide array of plant species. I would like to thank the Lincoln Park Conservatory for allowing me to work with their staff today, and educating Chicagoans and visitors alike on the role of plant life in our eco system,” Quigley said.

Designed by Chicago architect Joseph Lyman Silsbee, in collaboration with architect M.E. Bell, the conservatory was built in stages between 1890 and 1895. It was built to capitalize on the 19th century public’s interest in the natural world. In the 1890s, many sought relief from urban living through outdoor hobbies, such as the study and classification of plants and animals. Silsbee’s design evoked an exotic style and the structure featured a palm room, a fern room, an orchid room, and show houses.

The conservatory has always had a dual purpose. It has always been meant as a place to display beautiful flowers and plants but also to grow the thousands of flowers needed for use in city parks.

In addition to the Sago Palm, the conservatory has had a long track record of being able to grow rare and exotic plants. Behind the scenes, Amo and his colleagues are growing such rare plants as Corpse Flowers (which take more than a decade to bloom and have a disgustingly pungent smell) and Brown Spiderwort (Siderasis fuscata).