Watch a 55-foot ficus get lowered into the Amazon biospheres

On Tuesday, the Amazon biospheres gained their largest inhabitant, a 55-foot Ficus rubiginosa nicknamed Rubi. But because of its size, getting the tree into the facility was quite a production: Crews lowered it through the top of the sphere with a crane.

It took a long time for Rubi to grow that tall. The tree was acquired from the Berylwood Tree Farm in Somis, California, where it was first planted in 1969.

Rubi is just one of many plants to inhabit the spheres. The first, an Australian tree fern, was planted in early May. Eventually they’ll be full of tropical plants—or plants that work well under a moderately warm, high-humidity environment—from various botanical gardens and private growers. Amazon’s greenhouse in Redmond is currently home to 3,000 plant species from 30 different countries.

Amazon estimates the spheres will be ready for use in early 2018, when they’ll be a resource for Amazon employees get out of the traditional office environment.

Watch a video of the tree being lowered into the domes below.

This article was originally published June 21. It was updated June 22 to add a video from Amazon.

• Watch the first plant arrive at Amazon’s biospheres [CS]
• Amazon’s growth on full display in greenhouse where exotic plants are raised for its Spheres [Geekwire]