From the same award-winning conservatory that brought tropical rainforests, exotic butterflies and glass gardens to Columbus, comes a new exhibit: The Orchid Forest.

The Franklin Park Conservatory has brightened this winter with its 15,000-orchid bloom array. Featuring a variety of orchids from Hawaii and California, including oncidium, epidendrum, dendrobium, cymbidium and phalaenopsis, the conservatory has shipped in a grand total of 1,000 plants for the exhibit.

The orchid exhibit, which opened at the beginning of the year, has helped to increase popularity at the conservatory during the winter lull. “We are definitely seeing a spike in attendance,” says Laura Schmid, Marketing and Public Relations Manager at the FPC.

According to Schmid, the conservatory has featured an event with orchids during the winter months for the past five years. However, as the popularity of orchids has continued to grow, so has the strength of the exhibit.

This year, in order to create the illusion of a forest and to create a more dramatic effect than past exhibitions, The Orchid Forest exhibition takes place specifically in the Tropical Rainforest biome of the facility.

“Before, it was beautiful, but the impact wasn’t as great when (the exhibition) was all over the 75,000 square feet that we have,” she says. “Each year it gets bigger and better.”

While the conservatory always boasts waterfalls, rocks and overwhelming amounts of foliage, the orchid exhibition required a few new additions. The entrance to the exhibit is lined with trees that have been imported specifically for the feature, each covered with 55 orchids and Spanish moss. “They create this sort of arch tunnel when you immediately walk in,” says Schmid. “One thing that we really wanted to create is an experience; an escape, especially during these winter months.”

But the exhibit is not only a treat for the eye. The setup of the event also serves as a learning experience. According to Schmid, the plants were deliberately placed on trees in the same way they grow in their natural habitat. “Orchids live in a rain forest and they grow as epiphytes. Epiphytes are plants that grow on another plant,” she says. “We’ve definitely tried to educated visitors about the fact that the orchids do grow on trees.”

With the orchids, which are all capable of producing at least 15 blooms, and a fog machine, it seems the conservatory has created an event that will be enjoyed by all ages.

“Anybody who walks in the door is going to love this. It is a ‘wow’ experience,” says Schmid. “The moment you walk into a warm tropical rainforest and see all of these vibrant colors and smell all of the wonderful fragrances and see all of this green – it’s really revitalizing to the soul.”
The Orchid Forest will be featured at the Franklin Park Conservatory through March 4. General admission ticket prices include entrance to all exhibitions. For more information, visit www.fpconservatory.org.