Nicholas Conservatory & Gardens home to rare tropical plants

ROCKFORD, Ill. — Of the many plants one expects to find growing on the banks of the Rock River in northern Illinois, the allspice tree is not among them, nor is the rare orchid that produces the vanilla bean.

Those two well-known spices are just a taste of the tropics in the Nicholas Conservatory & Gardens, located on the grounds of Sinnissippi Park, along the Rock River in Rockford.

That allspice tree is one of the first sights — and scents — that will greets visitors when the doors to the 1,100-square-foot conservatory re-open when Illinois’ stay-at-home order is lifted.

“The allspice tree is one of our favorites to show off because the whole tree smells like allspice. We pass the leaves around and ask ‘what does this smell like?’ and kids will say gingerbread or applesauce,” said Lyndi Toohill, operations manager for the conservatory.

Only a few ever mention one additional product that includes allspice.

“We had one student who said deodorant. I was surprised he got that because they really do use allspice in Old Spice deodorant. It has antibacterial properties to it, so that’s how it evolved into being used in deodorants and products like that,” Toohill said.

The conservatory is a newer structure. It was completed in 2011 after being commissioned in 2009 as a part of the Rockford Park District’s centennial celebration.

Three local brothers, Bill, Dan and Ab Nicholas, donated over $2 million toward the conservatory in honor of their parents, William and Ruby Nicholas. They envisioned a place where the community could gather.

The conservatory has lived up to that expectation.

“I always tell people the best time to visit is in January and February, when you are just so over the cold and you need a little bit of green. We have people who will come in and sit and read the newspaper or read a book, just spend some time in here among the plants,” Toohill said.

The goal of the conservatory’s curators and those who acquired plants for the collection was to keep a tropical theme and to have plants that people recognized.

“We wanted to make sure it was things that people could connect to and relate with. You might have a super rare tree, but if only three people find that interesting, it doesn’t really connect or matter to people,” Toohill said.

Among the rare but relatable plants at the conservatory are the familiar spices of allspice, cacao, vanilla and pepper, along with a fruit salad of banana trees, jackfruit, lychee and papaya.

The conservatory’s growing plan is similar to a home garden — only on a much larger scale and with a few adjustments. The conservatory has one full-time gardener, several part-time staff along with volunteers.

“We’re always changing things. If something didn’t work in one spot, it was too wet, we move it and put something else there. We are moving things around and changing them or we find something somewhere we just can’t pass up so we plant it,” Toohill said.

Watering is done by hand. While the conservatory has automatic misters, some plants require more watering and some less so the entire collection is watered each day.

The plants grow in several feet of soil that was brought in when the conservatory was built and, below that, the banks of the Rock River.

“There’s no bottom or hard floor. It’s just Illinois soil, but with the trees, especially the palm trees, the roots just aren’t deep,” Toohill said.

The temperature in the Nicholas Conservatory & Gardens varies from a low of around 50 to summertime highs that can reach close to or even over 100 degrees. The low temperatures in winter can be a surprise to guests, who are expecting tropical temperatures.

A system of boilers, backed up by an auxiliary heating system, keeps the plants from freezing.

For plants to set fruit, they have to be pollinated and the conservatory utilizes pollinators with wings — and hands.

“We do have insects in here. We don’t really use any pesticides or herbicides, and we do a lot with integrated pest management. We have plants that get pollinated with the insects we have,” Toohill said.

Others are a bigger challenge.

“With some, we don’t have the right kind of pollinator. Like our mango tree, we’ve gone in with electric toothbrushes, trying to figure out exactly how does this need to be pollinated?” Toohill said.

The conservatory includes a green roof, made up of roof tiles that are trays planted with soil, succulent perennials and various flowers. The green roof hosts year-round guests.

“It’s really good for all of our insects outside. We have a duck that nests outside on the roof, and we added a beehive a couple of years ago,” Toohill said.

Indoors, non-plant attractions include a kaleidoscope that uses live plants for its changing design, glass sculptures throughout the conservatory and a winding pond stocked with koi fish.

A bench and a private alcove hosts some of the Conservatory’s most popular — and private —- moments. With papyrus in the background and greenery and tropical flowers, the alcove is a popular spot for marriage proposals.

“We’re asked to hide someone’s flowers or a ring under the bench. We help a lot of people out with that, and we do a lot of weddings and receptions,” Toohill said.

While the facility is temporarily closed due to the COVID-19 crisis, you can view the live camera, get teacher resources, and plan a future visit at nicholasconservatory.com.