Colors of the Conservatory
Posted in Around the Garden on March 12 2013, by Sonia Uyterhoeven
I recently spent an early morning walking around the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, soaking in the tropical colors and exotic flavor in the display houses before the crowds came in for The Orchid Show.
One of my favorite late February, early March features in the Conservatory is the electric blue-green of the blooming jade vine (Strongylodon macrobotrys). The jade vine is indigenous to the Philippines, where its tendrils scramble up tropical rain forest trees in an effort to seek out sunlight. The beak-like flowers dangle from a long raceme that can extend for several feet (the flower inflorescences can reach up to nine feet in the wild). The mint-green color of the flowers is almost eerie, and something that needs to be seen in person to fully experience. These flowers are pollinated by bats in their natural habitat, and produce large, melon-like fruit.