The Orchid Show 2024: PURPLE!

Presented by Better-Gro

Between the colors red and blue lies a range of vibrant hues that makes up the wild and wonderful world of purple. Immerse yourself in purple flowers and foliage at this year’s Orchid Show at Selby Gardens’ Downtown Sarasota campus, showcasing the magnificence and majesty of the royal family of plants.

Purple hues are common in the orchid family, found both in naturally occurring species orchids and in human-bred cultivars and hybrids. The prevalence of purple orchid flowers is a testament to the power of their allure for people and pollinators alike.

The Orchid Show 2024: PURPLE! presented by Better-Gro, will combine a stunning display of purple orchids in the Tropical Conservatory with a dynamic exhibition of botanical books, prints, photographs, and other materials in the Museum of Botany & the Arts. The conservatory will be filled with masses of purple orchid flowers and other plants with purple foliage. Ultraviolet light and purplish-colored films will be used to present these beautiful botanicals in fun and exciting ways, creating a rich and vivid visual experience. The museum will explore the history of purple pigments and dyes, as well as the many and varied associations of purple, ranging from royalty and luxury to wisdom and magic. The exhibition will also highlight the numerous botanical connections to purple hues, including rose, lavender, violet, and – of course – orchid!

Selby Gardens is home to the finest scientifically documented collection of living orchids in the world. The Orchid Show will build on the strength of this outstanding collection and celebrate the beauty and diversity of one of the most popular families of flowering plants.