The 27th annual joint orchid exhibit between the United States Botanic Garden (USBG) and Smithsonian Gardens is “Discover the World of Orchids,” on display in the USBG Conservatory from February 17 through April 30, 2023. The exhibit shares stories of the diversity of orchids and how technology advances their conservation.
One of the largest plant families in the world, orchid shapes, sizes, colors, and scents vary greatly! Throughout the Conservatory, thousands of orchid blooms showcase the USBG and Smithsonian Gardens’ extensive orchid collections. From growing orchids via tissue culture to tools that let us see the hidden parts of orchid lives, technological advancement has changed our relationship with orchids over time. Come explore stories of how technology contributes to how we conserve, grow, and understand orchids.
In the Tropics house, hundreds of orchids will provide vibrant bursts of color at ground level and suspended in the air, and two 9-foot-tall tree sculptures covered with hundreds of epiphytic orchids will be a colorful photo opportunity. Visitors will find Dendrobium and Paphiopedilum orchids throughout the Plant Adaptations and Plant Conservation houses, including large, 8-foot-high curtains of orchids. A special display showcasing pollination and pollinators will feature showy slipper orchids and strikingly fragrant Bulbophyllum orchids.
The Garden will offer orchid-themed educational opportunities including online programs about orchid care and cultivation, lectures on orchid conservation, in-person experts answering visitors’ orchid questions, and more.
The gift shop offered by Friends of the U.S. Botanic Garden and ReWild will feature offerings such as live orchid plants and other educational and botanical gift items and will be open daily in the Conservatory. Proceeds from the gift shop benefit USBG education programs. Learn more and plan a visit at www.USBG.gov.