Leaving the Glasshouse Range at the eastern end, you enter into the Fern Courtyard. Turn sharply left and enter Life Before Flowers. This display explores the land plant groups which evolved earlier than the flowering plants that now dominate our flora. Plant life before flowers consisted of the liverworts, mosses, ferns and some gymnosperms (cycads).
These non-flowering plants are all dependent on water to complete their life-cycles since they all have swimming sperm. These houses are therefore kept damp and shady to allow reproduction to occur.
