Hidden Madrid: El Invernadero

To most, Palacio de Cristal refers to the glass and metal former greenhouse in El Retiro. To others, however, it means the lesser-known Palacio de Cristal de la Arganzuela, more commonly known as El Invernadero, in Madrid Río.

El Palacio de Cristal de la Arganzuela (Paseo de la Chopera, 10; Metro: Legazpi, L6/L3) was designed and built between 1908 and 1928 by architect Luis Bellido y González (1869-1955), who was also responsible for El Matadero (Slaughterhouse).

In 1992, following restoration and renovation, the building was reopened as a greenhouse and is now known as El Invernadero. It is home to nearly 1,200 plant species, among them rare specimens and an amazing orchid collection. El Invernadero is open Tues-Fri 09:00-15:00, and weekends and festivals 10:00-14:00, and entry is free.


Making sure I'm in the right place

The entrance

The main passageway

Inside there are four separate greenhouses – Tropical I, Tropical II (closed for renovation when I went), Desert and Subtropical. With no clear starting point, I dived into the nearest one – Tropical I. Home to a slew of brightly-coloured plants, I was in plant heaven!


The Central and South American Guzmania lingulata, more commonly known as 'Scarlet Star'

The Scarlet Star in all its glory

Leafy walkways



Flowers within flowers – Brazilian Bougainvillea spectabilis (Bougainvillea)

Supporting arches blending in nicely with the foliage



Pachystachys lutea (Golden Shrimp or Lollipop Plant) from Peru

From West Africa, Clerodendrum thomsoniae, aka Bleeding Glory Bower

Green as far as the eye can see

I absolutely LOVED the Tropical I greenhouse, so those that followed had a lot to live up to. Unfortunately, since I am not especially interested in cacti, the Desert greenhouse fell far short. I took a couple of half-hearted pictures and left.

A cluster of cacti

Trying – and failing – to understand why people like these things so much

Although I didn't know it at the time, my final stop was the Subtropical greenhouse. This was because Tropical II was closed. There were some attractive plants in there, but nothing quite as nice as the things I'd seen in Tropical I.


A lily (not sure what kind since I forgot to photograph the plaque)



Originating in China and Japan, Alpinia zerumbet is known as 'Shell Ginger'

One of the walkways

 

As the daughter of a keen gardener, I should know what these are... but I don't!

Despite the disappointment of the Desert greenhouse, I really enjoyed my trip to El Invernadero. In a busy city, it was an oasis of calm – virtually silent and barely visited. I shall definitely be revisiting in the near future, not least so I can see what Tropical II has to offer!