Orchids: Amazing Adaptations
I finally made it to this year’s Smithsonian Orchid Exhibit! I kept putting it off for kind of a dumb reason: the exhibit is located in the beautiful Kogod Courtyard inside the Smithsonian American Art Museum, which doesn’t open until 11:30am. And I prefer to get up and do activities first thing in the morning. But I finally made my way there yesterday just after opening and it was well worth the visit!
This year’s theme is Orchids: Amazing Adaptations and it “showcases how orchids have adapted to their many different environments, and can be found on every single continent except Antarctica.”
I took lots of photos, but I’m sharing some of my favorites here!
I started off by checking out a section of the exhibit filled with lady’s slipper orchids. There were so many insanely gorgeous specimens on display! I fell in love with this bright coral-pink Phragmipedium Barbara LeAnn:
I also loved this Paphiopedilum Norito Hasegawa. Look at that extra bulbous lip!
These twinsie Paphs were super cute (I didn’t see their tag):
And I always love vibrant wine-colored blooms like this Paph Harrisianum:
These rose-tinged Cymbidiums captured my heart:
The displays are so beautiful, especially with the sun-dappled light coming through the atrium ceiling:
I didn’t see the tag for these, but they were stunning:
There were a couple areas filled with an array of colorful Phalaenopsis:
I’m a sucker for peachy-red Phals like this one:
The vibrant orange-yellow on these Dendrobium blooms will brighten anyone’s day:
I’m always taken with the unusual, twisty-turny blooms on the Dendrobium spectabile:
I fell in love with this Zygopetalum-adjacent x Ianclarkara Cheyenne Marie ‘Lemoncello’:
Of course I stopped to admire the various Zygopetalums and breathe in their amazing fragrance:
The Bulbuphyllum echinolabium is a show-stopper (it was too far back in the display for me to capture a good shot with my iPhone):
Those are just some of the beauties I admired during my visit! The exhibit runs through April 28, so if you haven’t seen it yet, I recommend stopping by. It’s not nearly as big as the New York Botanical Garden Orchid Show, but it’s still a must-see for orchid and plant lovers!
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