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Missouri Botanical Garden Orchid Show 2011Author: Missouri Botanical Garden
The Missouri Botanical Garden maintains one of the largest orchid collections in the nation, with over 7,500 individual orchid plants representing approximately 280 genera and including over 2,500 unique orchid taxa. The 2011 show is inspired by Maya culture. The Gardens orchid history dates back to 1876, when the first specimens were gifted to Garden founder Henry Shaw. The collection was significantly expanded in the 1920s when Garden horticulturist George H. Pring added some 5,000 Cattleyas from a collection trip to Panama and Columbia. Through subsequent gifts and collecting, the collection grew in size and prominence. Today, the Gardens orchid collection emphasizes the most extensive genera, Cattleya, Laelia, Epidendrum, Oncidium and Paphiopedilum, because they can survive the blistering St. Louis summers and offer a diversity of color and form. Language: en-us Genres: Business, Government, Non-Profit Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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How did the Garden’s orchid collection start?
Friday, 28 January, 2011
The creation of the world-class orchid collection at the Missouri Botanical Garden did not occur overnight. It is the culmination of many research trips to the tropics and donations both local and from afar. In 1876, Mrs. Henry T. Blow presented Garden founder, Henry Shaw, with a sampling of orchids collected by her husband while serving as minister to Brazil under President Grant. In 1918, Dr. D.S. Brown, a noted local orchidologist, donated his well-known collection to the Garden as well. Abroad, the Garden began its first forays into the tropical regions of Central and South America. In 1923, horticulturist George Pring spent six months collecting plants in Panama and Columbia and returned with forty burro-loads – or some eight tons – of orchids. The Garden’s first orchid show was held the following year, attracting 8,000 visitors. Later that decade, the Garden established a tropical field station in Panama, greatly facilitating orchid collection. Today, the Garden’s annual orchid show attracts over 30,000 people.
