The term “Jurassic Park plant” broadly encompasses flora that evokes the ancient world, blending cinematic imagination with scientific reality. This includes species featured in the iconic films and real-world botanical survivors from prehistoric eras. This article explores plants that shaped the movies’ visual landscape, alongside “living fossils” that offer a glimpse into Earth’s deep past. It also provides guidance on cultivating a garden that captures this ancient aesthetic.
Plants Directly Featured in the Films
The visual atmosphere of the Jurassic Park films was heavily influenced by specific plant species, creating the illusion of a primeval, untouched environment. The towering Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides) depicted lush, ancient forests where dinosaurs roamed, contributing to the sense of immense scale.
Various ferns and tree ferns were also ubiquitous, forming dense, verdant undergrowth that conveyed a primeval jungle setting. Locations like Fern Canyon, used for filming in The Lost World, demonstrated how these plants created a visually stunning and immersive prehistoric backdrop.
Cycads, with their distinct palm-like appearance, strongly evoked an ancient feel within the cinematic world. These plants, with thick trunks and spiky leaves, transported viewers to a prehistoric age. Horsetails (Equisetum), known for their primitive, jointed stems, also helped fill out the landscape, reinforcing the ancient aesthetic.
Real-World Prehistoric Plants Alive Today
Beyond their cinematic roles, many plants today are considered “living fossils,” possessing ancient lineages tracing back millions of years. The Ginkgo Biloba, or Maidenhair Tree, has leaf imprints found in rocks from the Jurassic and Triassic periods. It is an incredibly ancient species, having remained largely unchanged over vast geological timescales.
Cycads, while resembling palms, represent one of the oldest groups of seed plants, with a history spanning 300 million years. During the Mesozoic Era, they were remarkably diverse, making up approximately 20% of the world’s flora in the Triassic and Jurassic periods, a time often referred to as the “Age of Cycads.” These plants offer a direct connection to the vegetation that once coexisted with dinosaurs.
Horsetails (Equisetum) are the sole living genus of their ancient family. Modern horsetails have remained virtually unchanged in morphology for 150 million years, as evidenced by fossil records. Their unique jointed stems and spore-reproducing method offer a direct link to early plant evolution.
Many fern species boast ancient lineages, with some modern ferns belonging to groups that thrived during the Jurassic era. The Wollemi Pine (Wollemia nobilis) provides an example of a “rediscovered” living fossil conifer. Thought extinct for two million years, it was found alive in a remote Australian canyon in 1994. This critically endangered species has very low genetic diversity, highlighting its remarkable survival.
The Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides), featured in the films, is also a living fossil. Identified from fossils in 1941, living specimens were discovered in China in 1947. Unlike most conifers, this unique tree is deciduous, shedding its feathery leaves in the fall. Its rediscovery was a significant botanical event of the 20th century.
Creating a Garden with a Prehistoric Feel
To cultivate a garden that evokes a prehistoric landscape, focus on specific aesthetic characteristics rather than strict botanical lineage. Prioritize plants with large leaves, lush foliage, and primitive forms that create a sense of wildness and density. The overall design should aim for an untamed, overgrown appearance, reminiscent of ancient forests.
Many readily available plants can achieve this ancient look. Large-leafed specimens, such as Hostas or Gunnera, can provide visual impact. Various hardy and tropical ferns contribute to the dense, primeval undergrowth. Palms, particularly those with rugged or architectural structures, can add a distinctly ancient silhouette to the garden.
Bamboos offer upright, dense growth that can quickly create a jungle-like canopy and a sense of enclosure. For those in suitable climates, cycads and tree ferns can enhance the prehistoric ambiance. Layering plants at different heights, creating shaded areas, and integrating naturalistic hardscaping like large rocks or fallen logs can enhance the illusion of a lost world.