©2023 Daleen Roodt
Disa woodii
Watercolor on paper

The Sixth New York Botanical Garden Triennial is devoted to orchids. Orchids speak of beauty and rarity like no other group of plants. Their dramatic color and shape grab attention. Found in every hue of the rainbow, they exhibit the most unusual shapes imaginable. Possibly the largest family of plants (rivaled only by Asteraceae), ranging from terrestrial to tree-dwelling, they are found on six continents and in nearly every ecosystem type. Even so, they are still strange and mysterious, requiring committed research to find in the wild. Each has developed unique relationships with its habitat and adaptations to lure in pollinators for self-perpetuation. Still being discovered in secretive locations, the diversity of the family continues to be revealed. Adding to this natural diversity are the tens of thousand of hybrid cultivars, some of which will be showcased as well.

This traveling exhibition is devoted to some of the world’s most exotic and fascinating plants. Each one tells a story about diversity and adaptation. Artists are invited to submit their original artworks with orchids as subject for this exhibition, slated to travel from 2027-2029 after its appearance at the New York Botanical Garden. A catalog will be published.

To support this exhibition’s travel: Sponsorships