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Orchids aren’t supposed to feel gritty. They’re usually framed as precious, tropical and politely removed from real life. But the New York Botanical Garden’s upcoming annual orchid show flips that idea on its head, then plops it onto a city stoop, a bodega, scaffolding, a subway station and more.
Opening this Saturday, February 7, and running through April 26, “The Orchid Show: Mr. Flower Fantastic’s Concrete Jungle” has transformed the garden's Enid A. Haupt Conservatory into a bloom-laden remix of the city itself. Imagine taxis dripping in orchids, fire hydrants flowering over and everyday street scenes electrified by thousands of plants from around the world.
“We’re so excited to introduce you to the full diversity of the orchid family,” said Jennifer Bernstein, NYBG’s CEO, at a press conference on Wednesday. “This year, in partnership with Mr. Flower Fantastic and through the wonderful world of orchids, we have written a love letter to New York City—its energy, its beauty and its reinvention.”
For the anonymous floral designer Mr. Flower Fantastic, this marks his first solo exhibition inside a major institution—and he’s gone big. Rather than focusing on individual floral pieces, the New York-born designer has created an entire environment inspired by the city’s everyday scenes, from laundromats and pizza joints to the anonymous corners we rarely notice.
The exhibition, the NYBG emphasizes, is not just about orchids’ global reach, but also a reminder of their local relevance. While many species originate in tropical regions, orchids also grow in New York State and the garden's scientists continue to research and protect native varieties. The show leans into that dual identity: worldly and hyper-local but delicate and tough enough to survive a city that never stops moving.
Educational signage throughout the conservatory breaks down orchid diversity, hybridization and care—explaining why some cling to trees, others grow in the ground and how breeders create the wild color combinations on display. (Fun fact: blue is still elusive.) It’s a rare exhibition that works equally well as eye candy and a crash course in plant obsession.
For visitors who want a little nightlife with their botany, Orchid Nights return on select evenings starting March 21, transforming the conservatory into what NYBG calls the “lushest bar in town,” complete with music, dancing and cocktails surrounded by blooms.
At its best, “Concrete Jungle” doesn’t ask us to escape the city—it just asks us to see it differently. Slower, softer and, at least for a moment, completely overtaken by orchids.
