The Flower Dome is a gem in Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay. It’s an indoor garden filled with amazing flower displays and plants from different corners of the globe. You’ll find over 1 million plants here, coming from over 19,000 species.
This makes it a perfect spot to see how gardens in cooler, drier places look, especially since such gardens don’t usually grow well in Singapore’s hot, humid weather.
Flower Dome Overview
The Flower Dome at Gardens by the Bay is a famous attraction in Singapore. It shows plants from all over the world. The Dome is huge, covering 1.2 hectares – that’s like 2.2 football fields. This makes it one of the biggest greenhouses without columns in the world. It is actually a reverse greenhouse. While most greenhouses are designed to trap heat, the Flower Dome is designed to keep the interior cool.
The Flower Dome stays cool and dry thanks to special climate control. This system lets it have plants that would not usually grow in Singapore’s hot weather.
Inside, people can see a huge variety of plants. There are succulents, cacti, large trees, and beautiful flowers to check out.
Succulent Garden
As soon as you step inside the Flower Dome, you can turn right to see the Succulent Garden first.
It mimics the dry and tough conditions of the desert. The Flower Dome’s Succulent Garden is a great place to see how desert plants survive. It’s full of cacti, aloes, and more.
They are easy to spot with their thin, needle-like leaves and shiny surfaces. These features help them keep water and grow well in hot, dry places.
Baobabs
Venturing past the Succulent Garden, you will arrive at the Flower Dome’s Baobabs and Bottle Trees. These unique trees, like the African Baobab and Australian Baobab, show the wide variety of plants here. They add to the beauty of this indoor paradise.
The Baobab is also called the “Tree of Life” for its special nature. Its thick trunk and few branches make it look out of this world. Known to last well over a thousand years, it is sacred to Africa’s native people. They value it for surviving and even thriving in dry lands.
Additionally, the Flower Dome presents Bottle Trees. These trees with fat trunks for storing water and very few leaves have a unique charm. They’re from far-off lands, adding to the Dome’s effort to highlight unusual plant life.
At the very end of the Baobabs and Bottle Trees, you will arrive at the highest walkable point of the Flower Dome. This is marked by a dragon sculpture fashioned out of wood. From here, you can get a good overview of the entire Flower Dome.
Australian Garden
From the Baobabs and Bottle Trees section, you will need to backtrack to the entrance. Just to the left of the entrance is the Australian Garden.
Australia’s unique and fascinating plants. The Australian Garden in the Flower Dome shows off these special plants. It includes the Kangaroo’s Paw, known for its flowers shaped like a kangaroo’s paw, and the long-living Grass Tree.
The Kangaroo’s Paw stands out with its bright red and yellow flowers. These flowers are more than beautiful. They’re key for local wildlife, attracting birds and insects with their nectar. Next to it is the Grass Tree, a symbol of Australia’s harsh yet beautiful environment.
Walking through the Australian Garden, visitors find beauty and diversity against all odds. They see the special Kangaroo’s Paw and the enduring Grass Tree. This part of the Flower Dome shows the captivating world of Australia’s plant life.
South African Garden
The South African Garden is a unique spot in the Flower Dome. It focuses on plants that grow well in dry, sandy places. The area shines with plants like the King Sugar Bush, not often seen, and the Bird of Paradise with its bright orange and blue flowers.
Walking through, you’ll see South Africa’s amazing plants up close. The garden features everything from tough succulents to lovely flowering shrubs. It shows us how life finds a way in even the driest places on earth.
South American Garden
Walking into the Flower Dome at Gardens by the Bay feels like stepping into Central Chile. It showcases plants from a cool, dry climate. These plants are not just beautiful but also strong.
The garden features the Chilean Wine Palm. It is native to the Andes Mountains and looks truly majestic. Its presence reminds us of the area’s amazing natural beauty.
Next to the Wine Palm is the Monkey Puzzle Tree, Chile’s national tree. It gets its name from being so bristly. Its unique look shows how plants there have adapted over time.
Walking through this garden, you’ll see a huge variety of plants. Each one reflects the beauty and toughness of Central Chile. It’s like taking a journey into a world of nature wonder.
Olive Grove
At the Olive Grove in the Flower Dome, visitors take a trip back in time. They see ancient olive trees, some are more than 1,000 years old. These trees tell the story of centuries with their twisted trunks and fruitful branches.
This Grove is not just about old olive trees. It also has fig and pomegranate trees. These different kinds of fruit trees make the place feel rich and welcoming. They show how life has flourished in this Mediterranean-like space for a long time.
Californian Garden
The Californian Garden in the Flower Dome captures California’s Mediterranean charm. It highlights the state’s famous wine and citrus orchards. Walking through, you’ll see grapevines and vibrant oranges and grapefruits. This garden brings a taste of California’s bounty to life.
You will need to climb up some steps to get to the small garden that shows off California’s treasures. It features lush grapevines that you can sit under. If you are lucky, you may even be able to come across bright orange and yellow citrus fruits.
The large grapevines spread overhead, creating a cool, inviting space.
Mediterranean Garden
At the Flower Dome, you are instantly taken to the Mediterranean Basin. Here, you see the famous plants that love the warm, sunny climate.
The tall, coniferous Stone Pines catch your eye, with their needle leaves and tasty nuts. These nuts are often used to make pesto sauces. The garden is a place where you can fully experience the beauty and smells of this unique area.
Flower Field
In the Flower Dome, the Flower Field stands out. It’s a space that changes with the seasons and celebrations. Visitors find something new whenever they visit.
There are constantly changing displays. These include dahlias, cherry blossoms (grown by Gardens by the Bay themselves), tulips (they show off the beauty of spring in bright colors) and roses too.
The Flower Field displays are often also cultural, providing not just a display of beautiful and vibrant colors but also information about the countries where they are from.
If you visit during Christmas time, you will be in for a treat. The yuleide displays fill the field with lights and seasonal flowers like poinsettias. It is quite magical.
Visiting the Flower Dome at Gardens by the Bay
Every visit here is special. You might see Christmas poinsettias or a field of tulips. This makes the Flower Field a favorite place for everyone at the Gardens by the Bay.
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