Lights, Plants—Habitat! – New England Aquarium

Live plants

In our Amazon Rainforest exhibits, live plants make up much of the animals’ environments, recreating the lush jungle landscapes that they would inhabit in the wild.

“The live plants help to make the exhibits as naturalistic as possible,” said aquarist Katy Roscoe. “Visible roots or dead leaves might not look nice to us, but these are definitely highly present in their natural habitats and help to create a dynamic environment.”

Because the plants are real, aquarists also take time to care for them, too! They require periodic trimming, and a behind-the-scenes sprinkler system helps keep terrestrial exhibit plants hydrated.

“Fertilizer is added to exhibits in a few cases,” Katy added. “Occasionally plants get uprooted and need to be replanted.”

The plants in the Amazon exhibits are all species  you might find in the wild—including ferns, monstera, and bromeliads. As for aquatic plants, there are also Amazon sword, vallisneria (a type of eelgrass), and subulata.

“I only select species that you might find in the Amazon so you won’t see any plants that are native to Asia, Africa, or Europe in the Freshwater Gallery, but you can see native aquatic African plants in our African Rivers exhibit!” Katy said.

Now that you know a bit more about how we make our animals feel at home, see if you can spot these details during your next Aquarium visit!