The Mainau nursery has been located in the northern part of Mainau Island since the 1950s. It comprises 13 greenhouses with approx. 7,500m² of greenhouse area. In the nursery, young people are constantly being
trained as gardeners speci alising in ornamental horticulture.

The Mainau nursery houses some very precious collections. The orchid collection comprises around 8,000 specimens, including very valuable and rare genera, species and varieties and, in particular, numerous
natural form s. The orchids are exhibited annually from mid March to early May in the Orchid Show.

The citrus collection comprises around 50 rare and historic varieties which are exhibited at Caisse de Versailles in the palace courtyard every year. Citrus plants have a long tradition on the island of Mainau,
dating back to 1866 when Grand Duke Friedrich I brought the first specimens to the island.

The tropical to subtropical potted plants are another permanent feature of the Mainau nursery. As soon as temperatures pe rmit, the approximately 600 specimens will be exhibited at various locations in the park.
The collection includes various palms, passion flowers (Passiflora), temple trees (Plumeria), triple flowers (Bougainvillea), New Zealand flax (Phormium tenax), pomeg ranate trees (Punica granatum) and many more. 

The approximately 1,000 bedding solitaires such as the coral tree (Erythrina crista galli), lantana (Lantana camara), angel's trumpet (Brugmansia) and many others spend the winter months in the Mainau nursery before being planted in the summer beds in May, making them a unique highlight of Mainau Island.

In addition to these collections, a wide variety of foliage and indoor plants can be found in the Mainau nursery, which are used for exhibitions and for gree ning the interiors of the restaurants and the palace. Numerous succulents and cacti can also be found in the greenhouses, which can be admired in beds in the park during the summer months. In addition, Mainau's own floristry can be found in the nursery.

Many thousands of plants are produced here every year for the spring and summer beds. Approximately 20 employees take care of these diverse tasks in the Mainau nursery.