Water Lilies
To date, the garden has also introduced 13 species and over 200 varieties of Nymphaea, with 5 species of Anecphya, Brachyceras, Hydrocallis, Lotos and Nymphaeahailing from Thailand, Japan, the United States, and Taiwan region. Several rare varieties such as Carla’s sunshine and King of Siam can be spotted throughout the garden.
Orchids
Research ranging from orchid plant germplasm innovation and sustainability to conservation genetics has been extensively conducted by the Chenshan Plant Science Research Center. As a result, the garden has a large collection of over 13,000 orchids and over 850 species.
Ferns
The garden is also the home to 23 families, 80 genus, 450 species, and 30 varieties of fern from Hunan, Guangxi, Yunnan, Guangdong and other provinces in China. Some of the ferns housed in the botanical garden include rare and endangered species that have started growing in Shanghai, and the tropic and sub-tropic zones. Unique specimens include Asplenium komarovii, Pyrrosia polydactylos, Pyrrosia longifolia, and Isoëtes sinensis.
Bromeliads
Another extensive collection within the botanical gardens is the 28 genus, 384 species, 574 varieties of the Bromeliaceae family hailing from the United States, Ecuador and Peru. Bromeliads on display mainly include Aechmea, Neoregelia, and Tillandsia. Among them, the Vriesea imperialis and T. harrisii are rare and unique varieties.
Succulent plants
One of the largest collections in the garden is the collection of succulent plants, with 42 families, 292 genus, 1,935 species and 958 varieties from the United States, Eastern Africa, Japan and Thailand on display. Unique varieties such as Welwitschia mirabilis, Carnegiea gigantae, Dioscorea elephantipes, and Lophora wiliamsii can be spotted throughout the garden.
