| Visit the Lowland Tropics to See the Vanilla Orchid in Bloom!
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Did you know that from more than 20,000 orchid species,
only the vanilla orchids are grown as a commercial food product?
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We are delighted to announce that the Vanilla orchid located in the Lowland Tropics Gallery is in bloom. There is one bloom open today and two more that will open soon. Each bloom is only open for a day or two, so visit soon to enjoy this rare sight. Look for the orchid vine twining up the giant Imperial Philodendron. Your best viewing point is from the west side of the gallery, just before you reach the Goldman Environmental Prize display wall.
To read more about the edible fruit of the vanilla orchids and their culinary uses, click here.
We are now selling organically grown Vanilla planifolia beans in our gift shop for $5.95. The June 2009 issue of Sunset magazine features a delicious new way to use this tropical flavoring, click here for a recipe. |
