The center post has a scarce hanging Cercestis mirabilis, the African Embossed Plant, along with numerous Anthurium species, rare ferns, Philodendron species and other exotic species on all four sides.  A large leaf Philodendron sagittifolium covers the entire post and has now almost reached the ceiling.  Close to 300 species of rare plants can be found throughout the building with many very large specimens hanging from the ceiling.  The plants appear as comfortable in the Exotic Rainforest as they would in South or Central America since they frequently produce colorful inflorescences in the spring and fall.

Although often difficult to locate, among their leaves you'll find 3 species of tropical tree frogs as well as a few small green lizards known as anoles.  A beautiful Blue and Gold Macaw named Wizard also resides in the atrium.  The large pond with moderately large fish is immediately to the right of the walk just out the kitchen door and all this is in the backyard of colonial home built in 1890 in a small Arkansas town.  We've hosted up to 60 visitors in a single day due to several  tours offered by garden clubs and groups of home schooled students.  The Exotic Rainforest is not a business, it is a private botanical garden and there is no charge to visit. 

The Exotic Rainforest website was created to catalogue and describe the plants in the collection.  Every attempt is made to be certain our plant descriptions are scientifically accurate, however, I am not a botanist.  Instead, I am a retired commercial photographer who takes pleasure in showing each plant as best possible in the photographs on this site.   To ensure accuracy I have developed a network of contacts who are well known botanists and seek their advice or consult scientific journals on all plant subjects.  You will find many quotes from recognized scientific authorities on the pages of this site.  Very little information on this site is collected from the internet since much of that information is not verified and is often inaccurate.  If you believe find an error on this website please make it known.  We do however verify the accuracy of any recommendation before posting corrections since the world of horticulture is filled with inaccurate information.

Our goal is to be accurate but do it in a manner anyone can understand.  If you are a return visitor you will notice this site is updated almost daily.  Many aroids and other genera in the collection have yet to be described and photographed since we add new specimens almost every month.   In June of 2009 we brought back more than 20 scientifically collected specimens that were made available to us from the Missouri Botanical Garden collection in St. Louis, Missouri and in September of every year we make a trip to Miami, Florida for the annual International Aroid Society Show to acquire new specimens collected in South American rain forests.  Our collection is now one of the largest in mid-America and has been featured in one national magazine article. 

One website visitor from London said in an email, "if you sense somebody sat on that seat in the atrium it's probably me"./ You'll see our bench later in this presentation by simply following the "trail" through the forest by clicking the last small photo on each page. 

So if I can tell the bench seat is warm the next time I sit there I'll know someone, perhaps you, has visited!  You are welcome to share our park bench anytime via the net or in person.  All we ask is a call before you come.