You Can Now Donate a Plant to Budapest Zoo — and It’s as Cool as It Sounds

Budapest Zoo and Botanical Garden has always had a soft spot for the unusual. It’s the kind of place where art nouveau elephant gates guard one of Central Europe’s oldest and most beloved wildlife sanctuaries — and now, it’s asking the public for something a little unexpected: your houseplants. Yes, really.

The Biodome Needs a Few Good Plants

The zoo has launched a plant donation initiative, inviting anyone with the right tropical greenery to give their leafy housemates a grand new home inside the Biodome — the zoo’s stunning tropical biome that recreates lush, exotic ecosystems right in the heart of Budapest’s City Park. The Biodome’s plant army is nearly complete, but there are still a few spots waiting to be filled by the right species.

If you’ve ever wondered what happens to that enormous Monstera taking over your living room, or that banana plant you impulse-bought three summers ago — this might just be its destiny.

What Plants Are They Looking For?

The zoo is accepting a specific selection of tropical and subtropical species, so before you start dragging your entire indoor jungle to the gate, it’s worth knowing what they’re after. The wish list reads like a who’s who of the tropical plant world: Monstera, Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia), Flamingo Flower (Anthurium), Elephant Ear (Alocasia and Colocasia), Banana (Musa), Papaya (Carica papaya), Vanilla (Vanilla planifolia), Passion Flower (Passiflora), Traveller’s Palm (Ravenala madagascariensis), Tamarind (Tamarindus indica), and several others including Philodendron, Ficus, Dracaena, Schefflera, and Yucca. Other tropical species may also be considered, so it’s worth reaching out even if your plant isn’t on the list.

There are, however, a few caveats. The zoo is not in a position to accept cacti, succulents, or palms — those species simply wouldn’t thrive in the specific environment that’s been created inside the Biodome.

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How to Become a Plant Foster Parent

The process couldn’t be simpler. If you have a suitable plant and want to offer it a new life among flamingos and vanilla vines, send a photo of your plant to noveny@zoobudapest.com by May 22, 2026. The zoo team will review your offer and let you know if it’s a match. Think of it as a plant adoption process — except in reverse. You’re not taking in a pet; you’re sending one off to live in a tropical paradise.

Why This Matters — and Why It’s Worth Knowing About

Budapest Zoo and Botanical Garden isn’t just a place to watch animals. Founded in 1866, it is one of the oldest zoos in Europe and doubles as a serious botanical garden, home to over 2,000 plant species across its beautiful City Park grounds. The Biodome in particular is a remarkable attraction — a climate-controlled tropical environment that transports visitors into an entirely different world the moment they step inside.

This plant donation programme is a lovely reflection of the zoo’s broader ethos: community involvement, sustainability, and a genuine passion for the natural world. The same institution that lets you symbolically adopt a snow leopard or a giraffe is now asking you to send it your spare Monstera. It’s endearing, it’s practical, and frankly, it’s the kind of initiative that makes Budapest feel like a city that genuinely cares about its green spaces.

A Perfect Reason to Visit

If the plant donation campaign has piqued your curiosity, consider it a perfect excuse to visit one of Budapest’s most rewarding attractions. The zoo sits right next to the famous Széchenyi Thermal Bath in City Park — so you could easily combine a morning strolling past elephants, tropical butterflies, and lush botanical exhibits with an afternoon soaking in one of the world’s most famous thermal spas. There are worse ways to spend a day in Budapest.

And who knows — if you live locally or are staying in the city long enough, you might just be the one to hand over that wandering Philodendron that’s been quietly plotting world domination from your windowsill. The Biodome is waiting.