The New York Botanical Garden's annual orchid show is one of the most anticipated events of the year for flower enthusiasts and travelers alike. Featuring thousands of orchids from around the world, the show is a celebration of the beauty and diversity of these stunning flowers. Visitors to the orchid show can expect to see a wide variety of orchids, from common species like phalaenopsis and cattleya to more unusual and exotic varieties. The orchids are displayed in elaborate and artistic arrangements that showcase their beauty and diversity.
The annual event is one of the largest orchid shows in the United States, featuring thousands of orchids from all over the world. Each year, a different landscape artist is chosen to create an immersive installation of thousands of orchids with a different theme that highlights a particular aspect of orchid culture or ecology. For example, in past years, themes have included "Orchidelirium," "Thailand," and "Singapore."
The orchid show is an ever-evolving and immersive experience that offers something new and exciting to visitors every time.
This year, renowned landscape artist Lily Kwong is the guest designer for its 20th annual Orchid Show. Her design of the exhibition transports guests to ethereal, reverent landscapes inspired by ancient Chinese garden design and artistic principles.
This year’s show explores the diversity, adaptability, and worldwide cultural significance of these formidable flowers. Inspired by classic paintings of Chinese mountainscapes passed down through her family from Shanghai, Kwong uses an extraordinary array of orchids—including iconic and rare specimens—enveloping visitors in towering mountainous forms that blend ecology, culture, and fantasy. Inspired by Kwong’s own heritage, medicinal traditions, and her artistic interpretation of nature as a healing force, the resulting experience beckons visitors into an immersive world in which humanity and nature coexist peacefully.
Working in collaboration with Kwong to bring her vision to life, horticulturists at NYBG have identified orchids from the Botanical Garden’s collections, as well as from some of the finest growers in the world, with a specific focus on Asian countries. These flowers were assembled to create dynamic displays that are not only visually dramatic and striking, but emotionally evocative, inspiring visitors to reflect on their own plant heritage and ancestry. The exhibition’s varied installations evoking ancient mountainous topographies invites visitors to experience the boundlessness of nature’s creativity and imagine a future where environmental harmony is restored.
Kwong has been part of numerous public art initiatives since beginning her practice in 2017, including botanical installations at The Highline, New York; Faena Arts, Miami; Grand Central Terminal, New York; Taipei Night Market, Taiwan; Bal Harbor Shops, Florida; and many more. She has received numerous accolades for her work and was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 (Art & Style) list in 2018 and ELLE DECOR’s A-List. She has been selected to speak at MOCA, The Aspen Ideas Festival, The World Youth Forum, Design Miami and NeueHouse.
Recognizing her efforts, Kwong was named one of “9 Young New Yorkers Poised for Creative Greatness” by The New York Times, and her work has been featured in The New Yorker, Vogue, Architectural Digest, Domino, Forbes, Fast Company, and more. She previously served as Landscape Editor for Cultured magazine, where she profiled legends in her field from Agnes Denes to Fernando Caruncho.
The Orchid Show: Natural Heritage will be on view through April 23, 2023, in NYBG’s historic Enid A. Haupt Conservatory.
At NYBG Shop, visitors to The Orchid Show may browse thousands of top-quality orchids, from exotic, hard-to-find specimens for connoisseurs to elegant yet easy-to-grow varieties for beginners, along with orchid products and books.
On select nights during The Orchid Show, adults 21 and over can experience the exhibition through Orchid Evenings, with music, cash bars and food available for purchase.