Visitors to Gardens by the Bay at Marina Bay can look forward to seeing 162,900 plants comprising more than 200 species and varieties planted on 18 Supertrees, when it opens in June 2012

Standing at between 25 and 50 metres tall, the man-made Supertrees are tough to miss when you pass through the Marina Bay. Starting off with a concrete core, each Supertree will have a canopy weighing about 20 to 85 tonnes.

This will be hoisted by a hydraulic-jack system, taking about three to four hours per tree. Steel frames are then added onto the sides. And for seven of the trees, solar panels will also be added to generate energy that will help power lighting at night. Panels with plants and flowers are then added to complete the picture.

Some of the plants planted on these Supertrees include bromeliads which originate from South America. Others like the tillandsias do not need soil to grow. The plants will come from more than 30 countries including Brazil, Panama, Ecuador and Costa Rica.
 

They have to be lightweight, they have to be maintainable and hardy, and a great amount of effort has gone into looking for plants that can actually be sustained on this living skin. Visitors can also enjoy the view from a 128-metre-long aerial walkway suspended 22 metres from the ground that will connect two of the Supertrees.

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