Missouri Botanical Garden shows off one of the nation’s largest orchid populations in show

Jeanne Gray and husband walk hand-in-hand as they take in the fragrances and colors of over 500 orchids on display at the Missouri Botanical Garden.

“The fragrance when you walk through the door immediately relaxes you. It’s just so beautiful and peaceful in here,” Gray said.

Gray and her husband visit the Botanical Gardens often and even became members this past weekend.

“We love to come here and bring our grandchildren to see all the different exhibits so becoming members just made sense. You get exercise and beauty. Who doesn’t want that?” Gray said.

The annual Orchid Show is just one of the exhibits that the Botanical Garden hosts throughout the year. This year’s theme was Orchids and Their Pollinators. Their mission is “to broaden visitor perspectives and deepen understanding of the natural connections between plants, people and places.”

Orchids rely on pollinators for their survival. They must lure in specific pollinators because only specific animals can pollinate certain species of orchids. If not pollinated by their specific animal, the orchid will die. Orchids produce “non-rewarding flowers” to attract pollinators to transfer their pollen, but these flowers do not actually help the orchid reproduce. With this distinct pollination system, it is hard for orchids to reproduce. Because the orchid and pollinator relationship is so specific, both must be protected for the orchid population to survive.

Orchids are one of the most sought after flowers in terms of houseplants. It has been discovered that they can be cloned using tissue cells. Propagators are now over-collecting orchids, which is causing more reproduction problems. This is another problem contributing to possible extinction problems.

Orchids are very easy to maintain, which is why they are good household plants. Blanche Wagner and 15 volunteers are in charge of caring for the orchid population at the Botanical Gardens. They are housed in three different greenhouses. Orchids require a certain amount of light each day so the greenhouses are equipped to maintain this lighting with artificial lights when there is not enough natural light. With too little light, their leaves turn yellow and wilt, but with too much light they get red spots like a sunburn. The garden has a specific shade system as well to ensure this does not happen. They thrive in humid and warm conditions. The greenhouses are usually kept between 60-80 degrees Fahrenheit. Wagner and volunteers have a specific watering and fertilizing schedule for the orchids. A lot of time and effort is put into maintaining the orchids.

The Missouri Botanical Garden maintains and supports one of the largest orchid populations in the country. They have about 7,000 plants from 280 genera of orchids. The orchids are from six different continents. 37 of the species are found in Missouri. In the show, they display about 500 plants for seven weeks before rotating them out for new plants. The Orchid Show is one of the most visited events at the garden every year.

“Depending on the weather, we can have anywhere from 200-1,000 visitors a day, ” says Lizz Gerard, a welcome center volunteer.

Gerard sits at the front desk and administers admission tickets. Visitors must pay to enter in the garden, unless members of the Botanical Garden. Shows and special exhibits, like the Orchid Show, are an additional cost to the admission fee.

“Visiting the Botanical Garden is worth every penny. You get to see and experience so many different things. I just wish people took more time to come and explore,” Gerard said.

The Botanical Garden hosts events weekly tailored to accommodate a variety of ages. A calendar of all their events can be found online.

St. Louis-Cattleya Sugar Bowl orchids are known for their vibrant colors. Catteyla orchids are often referred to as the “Queen of Orchids.” There are approximately 113 species of this orchid. They originate in South America. (SLU/Taylor Paulson)

St. Louis- This is a Phalaenopis Housemann’s Chasity “Flicker.” There are approximately 60 species of Phalaenopis orchids. These are one of the most common orchids used in households. (SLU/Taylor Paulson)