Memorial Health Care, Worcester, Massachusetts

The plant displays in this hospital were installed in 1995 by Initial Tropical Plants, USA and designed by Hammer Design Landscape Architects.

The lobby plantings presented a unique challenge to the designers as the only available light for the plants came from the glazed side of the building. In order to prevent uneven growth towards the light, which would eventually lead to the plants becoming losided (and even unstable), the tree pots (which are below floor level) were placed on turntables that could be regularly rotated to ensure even growth. Additionally, supplemental ceiling lights were installed to ensure that the centre of the tree crowns remained dense. The whole construction of the plant displays cost approximately US$90,000.