True or False / Answers Below:

1)    Those vanilla beans you scrape into your homemade ice cream are from an orchid plant
2)    Charles Darwin further proved his theory of evolution using an orchid that is named for him
3)   Orchids only grow in hot, humid climates. That’s why it’s so hard to grow them in hot, dry city apartments

Orchids are some of the most misunderstood flora, which makes them among the most cherished by horticulturalists and garden-variety plant lovers alike. So the best way to get an eye- and noseful of these amazing creations is to visit the The Orchid Show: Jeff Leathum’s Kaleidoscope at the New York Botanical Garden, opening on Saturday.  

Floral designer Leathum has re-created his 2020 Orchid Show, which was cut short by the Pandemic—this time taking over a lion’s share of the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory with his extraordinary designs.

Using plants from the NYBG collections as well as imports from growers around the world, he has amassed displays of flowers of seemingly every conceivable shape and color including specimens you might only see if you went to, say, Madagascar, where they grow in the wild.

Leathum, beknighted by France for the spectacular displays he has created in Paris over the past two decades, says, like a kaleidoscope, “every turn will display a new vision while maintaining the thematic element of every gallery focusing on a different color experience [so that] visitors will appreciate the beauty of orchids and see NYBG’s Conservatory in exciting new ways.”

The 19^th annual Orchid Show continues at the New York Botanical Garden through May Day. All photos © copyright and courtesy of Peggy Roalf

New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY Info

How to care for your orchids: NYBG special programs here
Performances and special events here
Take a virtual global tour of the world of orchids here

Pop Quiz Answers:

1)    True [please scroll down]

2)    True

3)    False, per NYBG Senior Curator of Orchids, Marc Hachadourian, at the media preview yesterday