Where to find them: Emerson Conservatory

During the cold winter months, the Orchid Show transforms the Emerson Conservatory into a beautiful display of the Garden’s extensive tropical orchid collection. This collection boasts over 5,000 individual plants and 700 unique species, of which nearly one in ten are threatened or endangered.

The Orchid Show is the only time these fascinating flowers are on display before they return to the greenhouse for another year. Guests who visit more than once may get the special treat of seeing new species on display as the Garden rotates in new orchids as they bloom.

This year, guests can also learn a bit more about the orchid collections’ history at Shaw Nature Reserve in Gray Summit. The Nature Reserve is a division of the Missouri Botanical Garden that was created in part to be the home of the Garden’s orchid collection in the 1920s as St. Louis’ smog threatened the fragile plants’ viability.

Though it is no longer home to the extensive orchid collection, the Nature Reserve continues to protect plants, including native Missouri orchids, and recreate native habitats as it celebrates its centennial year in 2025.

Visitors can view the Orchid Show from February 1st through March 9th, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. The Emerson Conservatory is located inside the Jack C. Taylor Visitor Center.

What's in bloom: This event is all about those beautiful orchids that are in bloom, but if you’d like to explore more winter blooms, check out the conservatories around the Garden including the Climatron® and Shoenberg Arid House.