As Wisconsinites swelter, tropical plants and ice cream shops thrive

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) – This week’s hot temperatures in Southcentral Wisconsin will take some getting used to for many, but for others, the extreme heat could not come fast enough.

Hot temperatures can cause some discomfort. Ice cream scooper at Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream Company Reyes Murillo sees this first hand.

“Just the other day there was a lady came in, she’s like ‘My ice cream fell, it melted,’ I’m like ‘You should’ve grabbed a bowl!’ but I mean I scooped another one for her…”

But without these temperatures, the tropical plants at Olbrich Botanical Gardens couldn’t thrive, horticulturist Dan Schuknecht says.

“At this time of year is when they are really coming into their own, this is the weather they wait many months for,” he said about the plants. “They’re somewhat slow starting in Spring when it’s still cool but now this is what they are waiting for, to have weather like this, and the growth rate just accelerates.”

And a bite of ice cream might not be quite as satisfying.

“At least I’m going to be inside. It’s really cool in here, well not cool but I would say it’s a nice place… what’s the temperature outside right now? Yeah, it’s really nice to be in here because we have to keep it cool for the ice cream.” Murillo said

With both tropical plants and perennials in full bloom, Schuknecht says visitors couldn’t pick a better time to stop by their botanical gardens.

“It’s hot but the Wisconsin plants have evolved for this kind of swing that would go from 30 degrees below zero to 95 degrees and they’re ready for it too,” he said.

For Olbrich Botanical Garden’s hours, visit https://www.olbrich.org/. To find a Chocolate Shoppe location visit https://chocolateshoppeicecream.com/locations/.

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