Orchid Delirium
March 3 – April 16, 2023
Wednesday-Sunday | 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
(Members can attend member-only preview days on March 1-2, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.)
Orchid Delirium (March 3-April 16) returns in 2023 with a vivid and colorful display, celebrating form and shape. Drawing inspiration from the Victorian-era fascination with the flower that led to a collecting hysteria appropriately named Orchidelirium, this exhibit showcases hundreds of rotating blooms from the 2000-piece orchid and tropical collections cared for at Powell Gardens.
As the kick-off to the Gardens’ spring season, this indoor botanical exhibit provides an immersive tropical oasis for all orchid appreciators!
Powell Gardens is open Wednesday-Sunday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. during Orchid Delirium.
The Conservatory
With hundreds of blooming orchids on display, visitors are invited to bask in the beauty of this plant that has captivated the likes of collectors to botanists for decades. Visitors can expect to learn about one of the most numerous flowering plant species through educational programs, interpretation, and guided tours.
Powell Gardens’ signature glass-domed conservatory features new displays of colorful orchids and companion plants. Look for orbs of Moth Orchids in bold colors suspended from the conservatory’s ceiling over a tranquil pool of water. Plantings at the edge of the pool showcase some of our favorite orchids nestled in tropical plants.
The conservatory will also feature pillars of orchids from our collection representing the different orchid genera alongside ferns and other companion plants. In the Perennial Lounge, Brent Tucker (Lead Horticulturalist, Collections) is creating a Lady’s Slipper Orchid display. Orchid Delirium also includes interpretative panels and digital tools for education.
Learn More During Your Visit
Digital Exhibit Guide
Come for the stunning display and leave with a deeper understanding of why the beauty of this plant has enamored humankind for centuries! Use the digital exhibit guide to explore the exhibit and learn more.
Exhibit Tours
Tours of Orchid Delirium are led by Powell Gardens’ passionate docents. Tours last about 20 minutes and are available on Saturdays and Sundays at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., noon, and 1 p.m.
Garden Galleries
Stroll to the Garden Galleries to see a whimsical installation. Eric Perette, Lead Horticulturist, draws inspiration from raindrops and puddles to create a playful spring scene with colorful flowering annuals. Overhead, colorful umbrellas will hang with a raindrop made of orchids hanging from the handle of each umbrella.
Across the sidewalk in the arid Garden Gallery, be certain to enjoy the cacti and succulent collection including the living walls of succulents.
Special Orchid Delirium Events
Orchid Doctor
Saturday, March 4 | 1-4 p.m.
$15-20
Lab (Powell Gardens Visitor Center)
Do you have an orchid pest or fungus, but you don’t know what it is? Do you need help repotting your orchid? The Orchid Doctor is in at Powell Gardens!
Sign up for a time slot with the Orchid Doctor to cure what ails your amazing orchid. Help includes repotting your orchid, advice on pests and best remedies, and answering general questions about how to make your orchid thrive.
Horticulture Happy Hour
Saturday, March 11 | 4-5 p.m.
$20 | 10% less for members
Conifer Room
Grab a drink and join Education Manager Caitlin Eckard for a short session on the history of orchid cultivation, then enjoy a guided tour of the Orchid Delirium exhibit. Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages are included in your Horticulture Happy Hour ticket.
Tea at Powell Gardens
Saturday, March 11 | 10:30 a.m.
$45 per person | $40 for members
Includes admission to Orchid Delirium
Terrace Room at Visitor Center
Enjoy a view of the gardens while enjoying a botanically inspired tea. Tea at Powell Gardens includes a toast of sparkling wine, botanical blooming tea, and an assortment of savory and sweet treats. Brent Tucker (Lead Horticulturalist, Collections) will lead a short program.
Tickets coming soon!
Second Saturday
March 11 | 9 a.m. – 9 p.m.
More information coming soon!
Orchid Symposium
Saturday, March 18 | 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
$95 | 10% less for members
Conifer Room
Orchid enthusiasts of all levels are invited to Powell Gardens’ second annual Orchid Symposium. Event highlights include two presentations on orchids with a hands on kokodama demonstration. Attendees will receive a boxed lunch, non-alcoholic drink, and a mini phalenopsis orchid to take home. See schedule below.*
10:15-11:15 a.m. | Orchids 101 with Missouri Master Gardener, Lu Tarr
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. | Hands-on Kokodama workshop with Becky Carbonell & Eric Perrette
12:30-1:30 p.m. | Lunch
1:30-2:30 p.m. | Mimicry & Pollination with Brent Tucker
2:40-3 p.m. | Guided Tour of Orchid Delirium with Caitlin Eckard
Your Orchid Symposium ticket includes a boxed lunch with a non-alcoholic drink, a mini moth orchid, and a mini kokodama.
Book Club: The Botanist’s Daughter
Saturday, March 25 | 10-11 a.m.
$15 | 10% less for members
Terrace Room
Savannah Lore, archivist and librarian, will lead Powell Gardens’ quarterly book club on Saturday, March 25 (10-11 a.m.). This quarter, the book club will read The Botanist’s Daughter by Kayte Nunn. Snacks and drinks are included with your ticket.
Orchid Sale
Dates coming soon!
Take a little bit of Orchid Delirium home with you! Support this exhibit’s return in 2024 by purchasing orchids that are not a part of Powell Gardens’ permanent botanic collection from The Marketplace.
More information coming soon!