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Before having the chance to work with tropical plants, I never really thought of them as being seasonal, but like plants we grow outside at the Gardens, the tropical collection goes through its own

The common name for this plant says it all, king of bromeliads. One glance at this striking specimen and you will know why it bears this name and why it is so highly sought after by plant collectors

If the short days of winter have you longing for colorful tropical blossoms, there is no better place to get your flower-fix than the Boettcher Memorial Tropical Conservatory. There are hundreds of

If you’ve ever wanted to see the world’s largest orchid plant in bloom, now is your chance. While there are taller orchid plants and larger orchid flowers, the overall mass of Grammatophyllum

Just an update: I thought it was finishing (first photo above), this green-blossomed liana of a legume shows that it has the long haul in mind. I've discovered that there are several more inflorescences on the jade vine (Strongylodon macrobotrys) and that you might be able to see it bloom either upstairs or down in the Conservatory. The staff and volunteers at the Information Desk assure me they have people come and ask about the "green flowers" or "every-nine-years vine," so I know people are interested. Just to clarify, it took nine years of growing before it bloomed. Will it bloom next year? We have to wait and see.

The jade vine is in full bloom! There are two long, hanging columns of flowers right now, with a few more to go. Green flowers have the reputation of being subtle, but this is really wild! I was up on the mezzanine, and a cluster of garden visitors was exclaiming over it. We agreed that describing them as "green just doesn't really cover it." It is really a tribute to the Conservatory team's perserverence that we have a blooming Strongylodon macrobotrys to show Denver.

If you are looking for something amazing to do at the Gardens right now, visit our Cloud Forest Tree exhibit at the west end of the Boettcher Memorial Tropical Conservatory. The Cloud Forest Tree and