Saffron has been prized by civilizations for millennia. Ancient Egyptians used saffron to make perfume, and 4,000-year-old frescoes in the Greek islands of Santorini and Crete depict people plucking flowers from cultivated saffron fields. Each Crocus sativus flower produces a three-pronged, golden-colored pistil (the female reproductive part of a flower), which is the source of the spice. It is the most expensive spice in the world due to its labor-intensive production and very low yield: one pound of dried saffron requires more than 50,000 crocus flowers.
This is just one of many herbs and spices featured in our new Exhibit Lab, Flavors of Morocco, highlighting this North African cultural crossroads, its culinary traditions, and the plants that support them—reflecting the blend of cultures that have intermingled in Morocco throughout history. See it here in our Ross Gallery through March 15.
Some think the “G” in the Holiday Train Show‘s G-scale model trains stands for “Garden,” but it’s actually “groß“—German for “big!”
From trolleys to commuter rail, subway cars, and freight, our G-scale models bring the Holiday Train Show to life with some of the largest trains and track you can get. Here you’ll find a few of our favorites, including steam locomotives and diesel engines, and everything in between. Do any of them look familiar to you?
It’s almost here—the Holiday Train Show opens tomorrow! Hear from Laura Busse Dolan, President of Applied Imagination, giving you a sneak peek into what’s new this year from their workshop, including Central Park’s iconic landscape and architecture and all-new train track layouts. It’s all presented in an immersive indoor winter wonderland.
During Orchid Evenings, experience the sights and sounds of Singaporean nightlife with original music performed by Eli Tyler, along with the energetic urban choreography of Venus Chun and her dance company. Grab a Singapore sling, a bite from the Bronx Night Market pop-up, and settle in for a night of Orchid Show beauty—but don’t wait, as past evenings sold out! Grab your tickets while they’re still around.
Join Laura Busse Dolan, owner of Applied Imagination, for a quick tour of the New York landmark replicas created by her company of artists that most speak to her, from the familiar silhouette of St. Patrick’s Cathedral to the Electric Tower of Luna Park. They’re all here on view at NYBG through January 21 as the Holiday Train Show continues into the new year—don’t miss it!
On Sunday, November 20, NYBG held its annual Community Holiday Open House and Menorah and Tree lighting ceremony. Aaron Bouska, NYBG’s Vice President for Government & Community Relations at NYBG, welcomed the audience, which included many members of the Bronx community as well as several elected officials with their families.
This year The New York Botanical Garden is celebrating chrysanthemums—the most iconic of all Japanese fall-flowering plants—in a new, awe-inspiring display. The Kiku exhibition (open through October 30) in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory has a unique contemporary feel with new sculptural shapes as well as the older traditional forms.
Kiku means chrysanthemum in Japanese. It is the national flower of Japan, part of the Imperial Crest, and the subject of regular exhibitions at the Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden in Tokyo, where Japanese masters have trained New York Botanical Garden staff over the years to cultivate special shapes and colors in the traditional Imperial style.
Kristine Paulus is NYBG’s Plant Records Manager. She is responsible for the curation of The Lionel Goldfrank III Computerized Catalog of the Living Collections. She manages nomenclature standards and the plant labels for all exhibitions, gardens, and collections, while coordinating with staff, scientists, students, and the public on all garden-related plant information.
If the idea of grass makes you think of dreaded after school yard chores or monotonous sports fields, consider a visit to Kiku: The Art of the Japanese Garden to amend this assessment. Attempting to steal the spotlight from the chrysanthemums are several decorative members of the Poaceae family, better known to most of us as grasses.
Several plantings of Muhlenbergia capillaris, a highly ornamental native grass commonly called hairawn muhly, create a spectacular floral display for fall throughout the exhibition. Clouds of airy, purple-pink cotton candy-like flowers float above long slender foliage. These hazy panicles glow in the sunlight, converting garden beds into dreamscapes. Hardy and heat- and drought-tolerant, hairawn muhly is as low maintenance as it is attractive. This colorful plant is also a highlight in the Home Gardening Center’s newly redesigned Grass and Bamboo Garden.
The Orchid Show: Orchidelirium continues to great acclaim, along with a new season of our popular event series of cocktail evenings with live music, Orchid Evenings. As part of the LGBT @ NYBG outreach initiative, next Thursday, March 24 will be our next LGBT Night. For this special Orchid Evening we have partnered with the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce NY (NGLCCNY) and The LOFT, The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Services Center to create a festive and welcoming space for our friends in the LGBT community.
Come enjoy the thousands of orchids filling our landmark Enid A. Haupt Conservatory alongside Brooklyn-based DJ SpaceOnJason, with drinks and light bites available for purchase. This special night will feature live performances by Samba New York! evoking Brazil’s celebrated dance. Bring your friends and colleagues for the perfect group outing. There is no better way to admire this stunning exhibition in all its color and fragrance.
View photos below from recent Orchid Evenings, and join us for LGBT @ NYBG at The Orchid Show!
Tickets are still available for this Saturday’s Orchid Evening! It will also be the first evening to feature the Young Garden Circle Lounge, an all-new way to experience evenings at the Garden. With a YGC Lounge ticket, you can view the Orchid Show like a VIP with skip-the-line access to a private lounge featuring an open bar, complimentary bites, and a live DJ. These special tickets are $100 each, and after enjoying your night out you have the option of trading in the cost of this ticket toward full membership in the Young Garden Circle, a community of art and garden enthusiasts ages 21–40. YGC Members enjoy complimentary access to the YGC Lounge on all four evenings, along with a number of year-round benefits and access to special events, all while supporting NYBG!
If the idea of grass makes you think of dreaded after school yard chores or monotonous sports fields, consider a visit to 
