Our plan is to develop the Central Chile display over the next few years. The display will focus extreme morphology and adaptation to a seasonally dry environment. Displays will have distinct plant communities, but juxtapositions will merge as they are found in the wild. Tree, shrub and evergreen perennial flora found in the matorral biome home to Quillaja saponaria, Cryptocaria alba and Alstromeria sp. will be an important part of the display as these plants can be grown outside all year round. Puya chilensis and Fasicularia bicolor will be grown as representatives of the pineapple family, the Bromeliacea, normally associated with epiphytic plants in sub-tropical and tropical forests.
The matorral biome will merge into a display of sclerophylluswoodland biome, including Maytenus boaria, Lobelia tupa and in summer Jubaea chilensis. The transition to more moist woodland, with a shorter dry period will be a small display of woodland species including: Northofagus obliqua, Drymis winteri, Luma apiculata, Fuchsia megellanica and Embothrium coccineum.
The display will be augmented with tender species, particularly cacti during the summer months.