The 8th annual orchid show at the NY Botanical Garden opens on Saturday, this year's focus on Cuba. The Orchid Show: Cuba in Flower features thousands of tropical orchids ... with vignettes of Old Havana and the Cuban countryside.
The show was designed by Cuban-born landscape architect Jorge Sánchez of the award-winning Palm Beach firm, Sanchez & Maddux. The trunks of the sabal palms, shown here, will be covered with orchids (being readied for installation, below) when the show opens.
NYBG scientists have been visiting Cuba for more than a century to collect specimens for the garden's Herbarium. The most recent expedition took place last year, when three NYBG scientists and five Cuban colleagues explored the eastern end of the island and collected over 500 specimens, a number of them species new to science. Research data from the new collections and old ones will be used to assess the threat to Cuban plants from habitat destruction, invasive species, tourism, agriculture and climate change.
In the meantime, enjoy the show, along with special demonstrations, lectures, tours and more.
(images: Ivo Vermeulen)
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