Watch the first plant arrive at Amazon’s biospheres

Amazon’s biospheres have been in development for a few years now, and it looks like they’re finally taking shape inside. The geodesic spheres designed by NBBJ will eventually house botanical gardens—and it appears the first botanical of those gardens has been carted in.

The idea behind the domes is to provide an outlet to nature as part of a work environment—so workers at Amazon’s adjacent office buildings, like the new Day One or the high-rise in development at the current Travelodge site, will have a place to go on a tropical break.

Geekwire has the scoop on the plant, an Australian tree fern. In a very precious turn of events, it arrived on an Amazon Prime delivery truck. After the tree was planted in a small box near the entrance, Amazon gave a first look inside the domes—obviously a little more empty than they will be next year.

Take a peek inside and see some guests deliver some words next to a small tree in Geekwire’s Facebook Live video below.

The domes, located at Sixth Avenue and Lenora Street, will eventually be home to hundreds of tropical plants. Amazon is growing many prospective plants in a 40,000-square-foot greenhouse out in Redmond.

Geekwire’s Kurt Schlosser toured that facility last month. For a peek at those plants, the video below.

When the domes are completed, there won’t be much for the public inside (aside from maybe an occasional field trip). But there will be a green wall, a few open spaces surrounding the structure, and some kind of retail element.

They’re scheduled to be completed, foliage and all, early next year.

• Watch: The first plant goes in the ground at Amazon Spheres in downtown Seattle [Geekwire]
• Amazon’s new office building at former Travelodge site goes to design review [CS]
• Amazon’s Spheres: Lush nature paradise to adorn $4 billion urban campus [Seattle Times]
• Amazon’s growth on full display in greenhouse where exotic plants are raised for its Spheres [Geekwire]