The Orchid Show at the New York Botanical Garden
The 11th annual Orchid Show at the New York Botanical Garden looks like it’s just one hookah smoking caterpillar short of Wonderland. Housed in the vast Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, the exhibition includes tens of thousands of orchids which float in pools, cling to palms, and hang from tangled vines in explosions of vivid color.
The show continues through several wings, traversing critterless rainforests and glass-enclosed deserts in a rambling loop. Along the way, faint whiffs of fragrance distracted me until I finally started sticking my nose in flowers, inhaling honey, chocolate, vanilla, and other scents that eluded description.
I could not stop trying to figure out what these smell like! See if you can find them; they are somewhat hidden. Also, it’s rare to spot a blue flower.
Orchid experts are on site to answer questions about these oftentimes curious flowers. I was surprised to learn that orchids have adapted to thrive in almost any climate short of the Arctic, though they’re most commonly found in tropical rainforests. They’re one of the most numerous plant species in the world, appearing in a staggering array of colors, patterns, and sizes.
One type in particular, known as Darwin’s Star, famously featured in the theory of evolution. In 1862, Charles Darwin predicted that this orchid from Madagascar must have a specific insect pollinator that could draw out nectar from its narrow, 12-inch tube. About forty years later the “hawk moth” was discovered. (Here’s a practically-NSFW video of the moth and his impressive proboscis in action).
Darwin’s Star
For serious orchid growers, there’s care and feeding demonstrations and lectures, in addition to music from different orchid-growing countries. And if you and your date want to turn the romance factor up to eleven, there’s something called “Orchid Evenings,” but rest assured, a tranquil early morning or late afternoon stroll, sans DJ and cocktails, is still quite magical.
This plant is called a “Blue Tango”
Callistemon
The Orchid Show
Enid A. Haupt Conservatory at the New York Botanical Garden
2900 Southern Blvd. Bronx
Tues-Sun 10am-6pm. Runs March 2-April 22.
Getting there: Metro North ($12.50 roundtrip) from Grand Central Terminal to the Botanical Garden stop. The Mosholu Gate entrance is right across the street from the train station, and the Conservatory is a ten-minute walk from the gate. Tickets are $25.