Q: My grandmother has become interested in orchids. I’d like to know about the orchid center at The Atlanta Botanical Garden. Can you help me?
A: The Fuqua Orchid Center at the ABG began as part of the Dorothy Chapman Fuqua Conservatory that opened in 1989. The center was built onto the back of the conservatory and opened in 2002.
“We have one of the leading orchid collections in the United States. The Fuqua’s that gave us the original donation for the conservatory stepped forward once again and made another donation to allow us to build the Fuqua Orchid Center as it became apparent that it merited its own space,” Fuqua Orchid Center manager Becky Brinkman said. “They were Dorothy Fuqua’s great love.”
The 16,000 square foot center is comprised of three distinct glasshouses that display 2,000 orchid species. Other tropical plant groups in the center include aroids, gesneriads, bromeliads, ferns and many others.
The Orchid Atrium rotates seasonally and currently has a summer display that includes three oversized glass plant sculptures from Jason Gamrath.
The Orchid Display House exhibits orchids from the lowland tropics from sea level to 6,000-foot elevation.
Home to miniature orchids, the Tropical High Elevation House showcases “more diversity in this greenhouse than anywhere else in the garden,” according to the manager.
“One of my favorites, and one of our specialties that people can see now are the Tulip orchids. The flower actually looks like a tulip: pink, yellow, white and fragrant – their hallmark,” she said.
“People think of corsage orchids or moth orchids that they see in the supermarket, but the orchid family is the largest family of flowering plants. There are over 35,000 different species ranging from teensy tiny miniatures to the size of your car.”
Address: 1345 Piedmont Ave. N.E., Atlanta (404-876-5859).
For more information, visit: https://atlantabg.org/
New to Atlanta or simply have a question about this place we call home? Email your request to atlactualfact@gmail.com
