Orchids
Orchids are some of the most captivating plants in the world. At the Garden, there are special climates maintained in the Fuqua Orchid Center to accommodate the various temperature and light requirements of this diverse collection.
All year in the Orchid Display House, multitudes of orchids are brought from on-site greenhouses for display while in bloom. There are also orchids and companion plantings permanently installed to illustrate a more naturalistic growth on trees and structures.
The Tropical High Elevation House uses an air washer cooling system to maintain daytime temperatures below 76° F. The night temperature drops to 52° F throughout the year, even in the hot humid nights of Atlanta.
This range of environments allows the Garden to showcase a wide variety of orchid species that are perhaps not commonly seen in a public garden. From the tiny treasures of the pleurothallids, like Masdevallia and Dracula, to the large climbing Cyrtochilum and deliciously fragrant Stanhopea, there are dramatic specimens on public view every day.
This breadth of species representation is balanced with some deeply focused special orchid collection groups. These include euglossine bee-pollinated orchids like Stanhopea and Gongora, Paphiopedilum spp. (Tropical Asian Ladyslippers), Phalaenopsis spp. (Moth Orchids) and orchids of Madagascar. The Stanhopea and Gongora are nationally accredited plant collections recognized by the Plant Collection Network program of the American Public Gardens Association.