Giant 1970s cheese plant rehomed at Leeds indoor zoo
A giant cheese plant which has been growing at a Leeds medical school since the 1970s has been rehomed at a nearby indoor zoo.The monster Monstera - named Audrey after the blood-sucking antagonist of the 1986 film Little Shop of Horrors - had lived in the stairwell of Old Medical School at Leeds General Infirmary.Due to building work at the site, the 3m (10ft) tall plant has now been rehoused at nearby Tropical World in Roundhay, which boasts the largest collection of tropical plants outside Kew Gardens.Visitor attraction manager Jo Langton said moving Audrey had been a "massive challenge" but they were "determined to do everything we could to rescue her".
Audrey needed to be trimmed back before she was able to be moved, but has now been replanted in the Rainforest Canopy area.Once established, the NHS plans to install a plaque to explain her history.Ms Langton said: "She's going to need a lot of TLC and it's still early days, but fortunately we do have an established cheese plant here already which grows extremely well, so we all have our fingers crossed that she'll adapt to her new surroundings."We also know that Audrey has quite a following on social media, so we're happy to share that she's still around in Leeds and would love visitors to come along and see her settling in."
Native to central and south America, monstera can grow up to a height of 20m (66ft) in the wild, climbing trees by using a network of aerial roots which hooks over branches.Mohammed Rafique, Leeds City Council's executive member for climate, energy, environment and green space, said: "It's wonderful that we've been able to give Audrey a new home so her story can continue, and we can preserve a little bit of Leeds history for visitors so enjoy too."
About the Monstera Deliciosa
The Monstera plant's scientific name is Monstera deliciosa, from the Latin which means "delicious monster".The delicious element comes from its fruit, said to taste like a cross between a banana and a pineapple.It is also known as a Swiss cheese plant, as its leaves are heart-shaped when young, but become perforated (or Swiss cheese-like) as they mature.Swiss cheese plants are easy house plants to care for and are generally pest- and disease-free. They can live for years in the right conditions.Monstera are very forgiving when it comes to watering. They tolerate even the most neglectful of plant owners, so it's a great plant for those who are new to growing house plants or are away from the home frequently. (Source: BBC Gardener's World)
Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
30 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
A touch of glass! Glam greenhouses create frenzy in US
In the gardens of wealthy Americans, there is a new status symbol. It is a $115,000 (£85,000) Victorian-style greenhouse, designed and made by Alitex, a family business based in Petersfield, Hampshire, run and owned by Tom and Hilly Hall. Such is the popularity of its bespoke glasshouses that Alitex is considering setting up a base in the US to expand sales despite uncertainty over tariffs. Its greenhouses are made of powder-coated aluminium with a painted wood effect. The UK-US trade deal reduced the aluminium tariff from 25 per cent to zero. British fans include garden guru Alan Titchmarsh who told celebrity chef Mary Berry: 'Mary, if you're going to buy a greenhouse it has to be an Alitex.' David Beckham has installed an Allitex greenhouse in the grounds of his family's Cotswold mansion and shows off his horticultural successes on Instagram. Now there is a growing US clientele, drawn by Alitex's elegant 19th-Century aesthetic. Tom Hall says hotspots are Connecticut and New Hampshire, where the Wall Street wealthy reside or have second homes, along with oil-rich Texas. Bespoke greenhouses in the UK are individually priced but the firm has come up with eight freestanding designs with the National Trust starting at £18,750. There is no greenhouse tradition in the US, Hall explains, adding: 'Here,if people don't have one themselves their parents or their grandparents did. But that's not the case in America, where they are seen as something novel.'
BreakingNews.ie
38 minutes ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Paul Hollywood's coconut and passion fruit traybake recipe
'Traybakes remind me of village fetes and bake sales as a kid,' says The Great British Bake Off judge Paul Hollywood. 'I remember making them when I was a cub scout. They're a great way to get into baking, and you can play around with different flavours and toppings. 'One thing to remember is to leave them to cool before you slice up – don't rush it.' Advertisement Coconut and Passion Fruit Traybake Ingredients (12 squares) 200g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra to grease 200g caster sugar Finely grated zest of 2 limes 3 large eggs, at room temperature, beaten 200g self-raising flour 1tsp vanilla extract 100g desiccated coconut 3tbsp milk For the topping: 250g mascarpone 1tbsp icing sugar Finely grated zest and juice of 2 limes 3 passion fruit 25g toasted coconut flakes (Haarala Hamilton/PA) Method 1. Heat your oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/Gas 4. Grease a 30 x 23cm baking tin, 5cm deep, and line with baking paper. 2. In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar and lime zest together, using a hand-held electric whisk, until light and fluffy. Gradually add the beaten eggs, beating well after each addition and adding a spoonful of flour halfway through. Add the vanilla extract and stir in. Advertisement 3. Using a spatula or large metal spoon, carefully fold in the rest of the flour and the desiccated coconut. Finally, incorporate the milk until smoothly combined. 4. Transfer the mixture to the prepared tin and gently smooth the surface to level. Bake in the oven for 25–30 minutes until risen and springy to the touch. 5. Leave the sponge to cool in the tin for 10 minutes then carefully turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely. 6. For the topping, in a bowl, mix the mascarpone with the icing sugar and lime juice. Cut each passion fruit in half and scoop out the seeds and juice into a small bowl. Add half of the passion fruit pulp to the mascarpone and stir to mix; save the rest for decoration. Advertisement 7. Spread the mascarpone over the top of the cooled sponge, using a palette knife. Trickle over the remaining passion fruit pulp and sprinkle with the toasted coconut flakes and grated lime zest to finish. Cut into squares to serve. (Bloomsbury Publishing/PA) Celebrate by Paul Hollywood is published in hardback by Bloomsbury Publishing. Photography by Haarala Hamilton. Available now
The Sun
39 minutes ago
- The Sun
Five ways to make your own dips using ingredients you may already have
YOU'LL be loaded this summer with the latest food trend. Nibbles and dips piled with extras are everywhere, from hummus with falafel at Sainsbury's to Marks & Spencer's mascarpone with roas-ted tomatoes and Parmesan. But you can make your own using ingredients you may already have . . . HEAPED HUMMUS: Start with an inexpensive pot of basic hummus. Pour it into a bowl and transform it with a tasty topping. Roast a drained tin of chickpeas with olive oil and salt. Put this on top of the hummus with chopped fresh herbs or crispy onions. For something cheesy, crumble over Greek-style cheese, chopped olives or cucumber and a sprinkle of smoked paprika — or swap the cheese for cherry tomatoes. LOADED LEAVES: Sturdy lettuce such as little gem can hold a topping. Add shredded chicken, grated carrot and sliced cucumber then top with a dollop of mayo or drizzle of sauce. Make sweet satay with peanut butter, sweet chilli sauce and a dash of soy sauce. For a fishy dish, mix tinned salmon with spring onion, plain yoghurt and a squirt of lemon juice, then add leaves. TOP YOG: You can give a yoghurt-based dip like Greek tzatziki a lift. Serve in a dish and load with chopped tomatoes, peppers, red onion, cucumber, parsley and pine nuts. Add a swirl of olive oil. CHIP FOR THE TOP: Loaded crisps are a great way to use up leftovers. Get a bag of tortilla or pitta chips, tip them on to a baking sheet and pour over some shop-bought salsa. Add chopped chicken, crispy bacon bits, sliced peppers, tomato chunks or olives. Finally, add grated cheese and bake until hot and bubbly. BETTER BANANAS: Fire up your fruit. Split open a banana and top with peanut butter, crumbled biscuits and honey. Or load the banana with chopped strawberries, blue-berries, nuts and a grating of dark chocolate. The Batch Lady shares her recipe for sundried tomato hummus All prices on page correct at time of going to press. Deals and offers subject to availability Deal of the day GIVE your feet a treat with the leopard-print heeled Mary Janes from Office, down from £55.99 to £18. Cheap treat FOR tasty comfort food, Gu's Hot Chocolate Melt In The Middle Puddings (2 x 90g) are down from £3.95 to £2.95 at Morrisons. Top swap TAKE dinner up a notch with the Romy speckle- glaze 12-piece stoneware dinner set from John Lewis, £75. Or serve up in style on the Reactive Blue set from Dunelm, £35. Shop & save 7 MAKE short work of tea time with four frozen favourites for £4.98 at Asda. With some of the deal's 13 items costing £2.48, including Birds Eye 12 Chicken Dippers, you could save almost 50 per cent. Hot right now PADEL is one of the fastest-growing sports, so join in the fun with Lidl's Padel Starter Kit, £14.99, including a racket, balls and bag. PLAY NOW TO WIN £200 7 JOIN thousands of readers taking part in The Sun Raffle. Every month we're giving away £100 to 250 lucky readers - whether you're saving up or just in need of some extra cash, The Sun could have you covered. Every Sun Savers code entered equals one Raffle ticket.
