Pampered plants change digs

The stars of one of Auckland's hottest attractions are taking a summer break from their adoring public.

About 2000 plants are being moved this week from the tropical house at the Auckland Domain Wintergarden to temporary homes while the 1930s building is closed for refurbishment until May.

The removal exercise has taken careful planning and tender care from specialist staff, said Auckland City Council parks foreman David Millward.

The pampered plants are used to a constant 24C and 90 per cent humidity, so a ride on the back of a truck with the wind blowing through their leaves won't do.

Protection has been arranged, especially for three endangered species - an Australian grease nut Hernandia bivalvis, a Brazilian rubber tree Hevea brasiliensis, and a West Indian all-spice tree, Pimenta officinalis.

Fortunately, said Mr Millward, most of the plants were in pots so they would not have the shock of being uprooted and transplanted.

The arrival of summer also makes it easier to create a suitably hot and humid environment for plants at their temporary digs. But the risk of theft means Mr Millward cannot say where they are.

The heated tropical fish pond has been drained for the duration of the works and its fish and large lily pads are in foster homes.

But left out in the cold is a 9m cycad, which Mr Millward said was the biggest cycad in the Southern Hemisphere.

"We were quoted $14,000 to remove it so we offered it to a good home but no one wanted it.

"The scaffolders will have to work around it. It's been here 60 years and has a limited life now that it's touching the roof.

"But the staff are keen to find a way to keep it in place, with trimming it as a last resort."

The only creatures to be put out by the works will be Butch the cat and a mynah bird with a lame wing. Both sleep overnight in the tropical house and staff say they get on together "very well".

Auckland City Council heritage manager George Farrant said the tropical house was run down.

The $1.3 million project was the third and final phase of a programme to preserve the Wintergarden as a landmark and valuable heritage site.