A gigantic jungle plant which has been growing in Leeds for more than half a century has found the perfect new home after a monster move to Roundhay’s Tropical World.
The huge monstera, popularly known as a cheese plant, has been a resident in a stairwell at Leeds General Infirmary’s medical school since the 1970s, where staff affectionately named her Audrey.
But an upcoming office relocation meant Audrey was going to be left without a home and facing an uncertain fate.
After contacting the team at Tropical World, experts were quickly dispatched to assess if she could be moved and become the latest addition to the attraction’s vast collection of plants from across the world.
Audrey’s impressive size, thought to be over 10 feet, meant that she needed a significant trim before she could be transported, but luckily, after some delicate care and attention, staff were eventually able to find the ideal spot for the precious plant to put down some new roots.
Jo Langton, visitor attraction general manager at Tropical World, said:
The logistics of moving Audrey were certainly a massive challenge, but having heard her story and seen her first hand, we were determined to do everything we could to rescue her and give her a new place to call home.
She’s going to need a lot of TLC and it’s still early days, but fortunately we do have an established cheese plant here already which grows extremely well, so we all have our fingers crossed that she’ll adapt to her new surroundings.
We also know that Audrey has quite a following on social media, so we’re happy to share that she’s still around in Leeds and would love visitors to come along and see her settling in.
Native to central and south America, monstera can grow up to a height of 66 feet in the wild, climbing trees by using a network of aerial roots which hook over branches.
Audrey can currently be seen in Tropical World’s Rainforest Canopy area next to the pygmy marmoset enclosure. NHS staff have also asked if they can put a plaque in place once she is established and growing.
The new arrival is in good company, with Tropical World being home to the largest collection of tropical plants in the UK outside of London, housed in climate-controlled glass houses which replicate their natural environment.
Open since 1988, Tropical World is also a registered zoo, aquarium and butterfly house, with species including meerkats, sulcata tortoises and emperor tamarin monkeys calling the site home.
Councillor Mohammed Rafique, Leeds City Council’s executive member for climate, energy, environment and green space, said: “It’s wonderful that we’ve been able to give Audrey a new home so her story can continue, and we can preserve a little bit of Leeds history for visitors so enjoy too.
“It’s thanks to the expertise and dedication of the team at Tropical World that so many rare and fascinating species can be conserved and we can learn more about nature, biodiversity and the animal kingdom here in Leeds.”
For more information about visiting Tropical world including opening times and booking details, please visit: https://tropicalworld.leeds.gov.uk/
