Before orchids were being plucked for corsages and strewn across fancy tablescapes, they were revered across the world for their beauty and mystique. The New York Botanical Garden’s 11th annual homage to the flower starts today with the opening of the Orchid Show. Through April 22, the NYBG’s Enid A. Haupt Conservatory will be overflowing with thousands of orchids, representing hundreds of varieties.
“The history of the orchid has a lot of legend and lore surrounding it,” says Marc Hachadourian, curator of the permanent orchid collection. “The Chinese believed that the perfume from the flowers could ward off evil spirits.”
Orchids rose to prominence in Victorian England. “The flower often returned to Europe with elaborate stories and outlandish tales of exotic lands — everything from cannibals and jaguars to true survival in the jungle to bring back these rare and exotic beauties,” he says
Here’s a look at the show’s facts, figures and flowers.
$28: The starting price for a phalaenopsis orchid plant at Shop in the Garden, the one Hachadourian recommends, for “ease of cultivation and long-lasting blooms.”
29,000: Square feet of the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory
65˚: The temperature in the conservatory is kept at to maintain the longevity of the flowers
154,000: Approximate number of attendees at the 2012 Orchid Show
7,000: Orchids in the NYBG permanent collection — there are 3,075 different types
1,000: Hours spent installing the Orchid Show
30: Years Orchid Show designer Francisca Coelho has been at the NYBG
1921: The year the American Orchid Society was founded
1980: The year the Manhattan Orchid Society was founded
4,000: Orchids purchased by visitors of the Orchid Show each year
6: Continents on which orchids are found. The only exception: Antarctica
30,000: Estimated naturally occurring orchid species
60: Orchid species native to New York. The “lady slipper” (above) is one of the most common. “Some people like the whimsical look of a lot of the ‘lady slipper’ orchids. People say they see little faces in them, and they’re almost comical in their appearance,” says Hachadourian.
150,000: Man-made hybrid orchid species
100+: Years an orchid can survive