Nine things you didn’t know about the NYBG’s Orchid Show
The flower display brings together thousands of plants from around the country.
The Orchid Show at The New York Botanical Garden will explore the healing power of the natural world through dynamic designs by landscape artist Lily Kwong.
Every year, the Orchid Show exhibits thousands of species of beautiful blossoming orchids and it’s one of the best NYC events in February and one of the best things to do in The Bronx. Macy's has its Flower Show, which is worth seeing in its own right, but the NYBG's orchid show has been running for 20 years and has only gotten better.
Your ticket will get you daytime access to The Orchid Show, plus all the rest of NYBG's outdoor gardens and collections. If you want to visit after dark, check out Orchid Nights where you can admire the flowers under the twinkling lights of the conservatory with music in the background and a cocktail in hand.
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What is the Orchid Show NYC?
The balmy and bountiful festival titled The Orchid Show: Natural Heritage will transform the garden's conservatory with immersive installations featuring thousdans of orchids. Landscape artist Lily Kwong drew inspiration from classic paintings of Chinese mountainscapes passed down through her family from Shanghai, plus her own heritage, medicinal traditions and her artistic interpretation of nature as a healing force. She also incorporated concepts from Chinese garden design.
Using an extraordinary array of both iconic and rare orchids, she worked with NYBG's horticulturists to create towering mountainous forms blending ecology, culture and fantasy. Here, in these ethereal, reverent landscapes, humanity and nature coexist peacefully.
"This exhibition's design is my most autobiographical work to date, and the piece took shape through meditation and exploration of my ancestral roots stretching back generations to Shanghai," Kwong said in a press release. "As the first woman of color to step into the role as guest designer, it felt urgent to celebrate an Asian-centered perspective in the midst of this charged and precarious moment. The piece is meant to offer a bridge of cultural understanding across the valley between us, and act as an invitation to celebrate the diverse lineages that make up our country."
This year's show focuses on flowers sourced from Asian countries, in addition to orchids from the Botanical Garden's own collections.
When is the Orchid Show NYC?
NYBG’s Orchid show runs from February 18 through April 23, 2023.
Where is the Orchid Show NYC?
The Orchid Show takes place at the New York Botanical Garden (2900 Southern Blvd, Bronx) inside the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory.
How do I get tickets to the Orchid Show NYC?
Tickets ($35 for adults) are available here. Tickets for Orchid Nights cost $39 and can be purchased here.
