Kaisaniemi botanic garden - Helsinki, Finland
History of Kaisaniemi Botanic Garden: a living archive of time, plants, and people
Kaisaniemi Botanic Garden is not merely a garden. It is a living archive of scientific ambition, historical upheaval, quiet resilience, and patient care. Tucked into the heart of Helsinki, it holds centuries of stories rooted in soil, glass, and human curiosity. To walk through Kaisaniemi is to move through layers of time, where political shifts, architectural vision, war, and botanical science intertwine.
Origins: medicine, learning, and a garden born in Turku
The story of the garden begins far from its current location. “The garden was founded in Turku by Professor of Medicine Elias Tillandz in 1678 mainly to serve the teaching of medicine.” At that time, botany was inseparable from medicine. Plants were not ornamental objects but vital sources of healing and knowledge. The early garden existed to educate future physicians, grounding scientific learning in observation and cultivation. History soon intervened. In 1812, Helsinki became the capital of Finland, a strategic decision shaped by geopolitics. The shift was intended to place the capital “closer to St. Petersburg and further away from Sweden”, reflecting Finland’s position within the Russian Empire at the time. Just fifteen years later, catastrophe struck Turku. “The Great Fire of Turku in 1827 destroyed three-quarters of the city.” The devastation forced a decisive move. The Academy of Turku relocated to Helsinki, and with it, the Botanic Garden.
From pasture to botanical garden
Kaisaniemi itself had no prior botanical identity. “From the 1700s until the arrival of the Botanical Garden, the Kaisaniemi area was a common pasture for the residents of Helsinki.” The transformation from shared grazing land to scientific garden marked a new chapter for the city. Plants were transferred from Turku, and the garden was shaped through international collaboration. Its design was entrusted to Faldermann, head gardener of the St. Petersburg Botanic Garden. Alongside plants from Turku, “800 plant species were transported by ship from the St. Petersburg Botanic Garden,” and additional specimens arrived from Tartu. From the very beginning, Kaisaniemi was international in character, shaped by cross border exchange and shared scientific purpose.
Historic greenhouses and architecture: glass, iron, and architectural vision
The garden’s architectural identity evolved alongside its botanical mission. The first greenhouses were completed in 1832, though they were built from wood and proved short lived. Enduring structures followed later in the century. “The Palm house is the oldest of the current greenhouses, dating back to 1889 and was designed by Gustaf Nyström.” Its neighboring greenhouses, now known as the savannah and rainforest rooms, were renovated according to Nyström’s plans in 1896. These spaces were not only functional but expressive, embodying an era that believed scientific knowledge deserved architectural beauty.
Time, however, takes its toll even on the most elegant structures. By the late twentieth century, the greenhouses had suffered from prolonged exposure to humidity and temperature stress. “A large-scale renovation of the greenhouses was carried out in 1996–1998.” Before this intervention, their condition was described as very poor. Younger greenhouses, including the water lily room, were completely rebuilt. The Palm House and its adjacent spaces were unified through a new connecting corridor, and a new entrance was constructed on the north side. The garden’s most valuable historical sections, “the Palm house and its side rooms,” are now protected under the Decree on the Protection of State-owned Buildings, ensuring their preservation for future generations.
Photo: Emilia Kurila
Unique Plant Collections at Kaisaniemi
Ancient life in miniature: the Moss Garden
Beyond architecture, Kaisaniemi is defined by its living collections and the stories they carry. One such story unfolds quietly in what may be the Moss Garden. This area presents moss species native to southern Finland, an often overlooked but profoundly important group of plants. “Mosses are a very interesting group from an evolutionary point of view. They have been around for more than 500 million years, and the first plants to climb onto the ground were like them, i.e. the ancestors of all modern plants.”
Mosses challenge conventional ideas of plant life. Unlike most plants, they do not rely on roots and internal transport systems. “Mosses take the water and nutrients they need in all their parts directly through their outer surface.” They lack structures that prevent evaporation, making them highly dependent on moisture and careful maintenance. During summer, they are regularly sprayed to ensure survival. Their reproductive process is equally remarkable. “Mosses also need moisture for reproduction. They have swimming sperm cells just like us humans!” Without continuous moisture, reproduction would be impossible. Yet mosses are also extraordinarily resilient. “However, drying out is not fatal for mosses either; When dried moss receives moisture, it wakes up and continues to grow!” This quiet endurance mirrors the broader resilience found throughout the garden.
Photo: Laura Hiisivuori
Survival and spectacle: the Santa Cruz water lily
If mosses represent ancient persistence, the Santa Cruz water lily represents botanical spectacle. “Our most famous plant is by far the Santa Cruz waterlily, (Victoria cruziana).” Native to the Paraná and Paraguay river basins, its leaves can reach two meters in diameter in the wild and are strong enough to support significant weight. Its flowering cycle is both dramatic and precise. “On the first night, the flower opens white and attracts pollinating insects.” By morning, it closes, trapping the insects inside. The following evening, it opens again in pink, releasing the insects after pollination. The fertilized flower then sinks beneath the water to develop seeds.
The water lily’s story is inseparable from the history of Helsinki itself. During the Second World War, the city was heavily bombed. Although the greenhouses were not directly hit, pressure waves shattered their glass, and the plants froze. Even so, the water lily endured. “Even though the entire pool froze to the bottom, the seeds of the giant water lily remained protected by mud.” While this strain disappeared from many gardens worldwide during the turmoil of war, Kaisaniemi’s survived. As a result, “the seeds of the giant water lily growing in Kaisaniemi have been transmitted to many of the world’s botanical gardens,” including Kew. In this way, the garden became a global refuge for a species at risk.
Photo: Essi Huotari
Seasons of renewal
Seasonal change shapes the visitor experience just as profoundly as history. “Spring time in the outdoor garden is very beautiful.” After the long Nordic winter, the emergence of spring flowers transforms the landscape. “There are numerous spring flowers that color the garden and after the long winter, the sight is always extremely wonderful.” These moments of renewal connect visitors emotionally to cycles of nature that extend far beyond the city.
Photo: Essi Huotari
Conservation beyond the garden
Yet Kaisaniemi is not only about beauty. Conservation lies at the heart of its mission. “The protection of endangered plants outside their original habitats (ex-citu protection) is one of the most important tasks of the Kaisaniemi Garden.” Plants are preserved as seeds in seed banks and cultivated in living collections both at Kaisaniemi and in Kumpula. These gardens serve as safe havens, safeguarding species that might otherwise disappear. When conditions allow, plants can be returned to their original environments. A powerful example is hill violet, Viola collina, which “was successfully planted in its two original habitats in Sastamala.”
Urban nature and human wellbeing
The garden’s role extends beyond plants to people. Urban nature plays a vital role in human wellbeing. “Urban nature is vital for the physical and mental health of residents, as it reduces stress, lowers blood pressure and provides an environment for recovery.” It cools cities during heat, prevents flooding, supports biodiversity, and strengthens the human immune system. Just as importantly, it nurtures a deeper relationship with nature, something increasingly fragile in modern urban life.
Kaisaniemi Botanic Garden stands as a quiet but powerful reminder that knowledge, care, and patience matter. It reflects centuries of scientific dedication, international cooperation, and respect for living systems. As part of LUOMUS and the University of Helsinki, it continues to bridge research, conservation, and public engagement, bringing nature close to society while preserving it for the future.
Photo: Essi Huotari
A garden that carries time forward
In a world shaped by rapid change, Kaisaniemi endures not by resisting time, but by growing with it. Through moss that revives after drought, seeds that survive war, and gardens that heal both ecosystems and people, it tells a story of resilience rooted deeply in the living world.
Photo: Jukka Saarinen
Interview responses provided by: Sari Siipola, Service Coordinator, LUOMUS, Kaisaniemi Botanic Garden, University of Helsinki
Text written by: Matilda Kinberg
Based on an interview conducted as part of the Voices of the Garden project