Orchid Escape
to
Olbrich Gardens 3330 Atwood Ave., Madison, Wisconsin 53714

Linda Falkenstein.
A close-up of an orchid.
Orchid Escape is an annual Bolz Conservatory exhibit at Olbrich Gardens.
media release: Guests are invited on an expedition through the layers of a tropical rainforest to discover some of the flora and fauna encountered there, bolstered by almost 1,000 orchids brought in to populate each layer with loads of color. While tropical rainforests make up about 8% of the earth’s surface, they harbor millions of species—ranging from 40% to 75% of all species worldwide. Tropical rainforests are by far the most biodiverse ecosystems on earth, home to many of the 28,000 known species of orchids. While there are a significant number of species yet to be encountered, rainforests are under pressures imposed by humans and climate change, which are accelerating extinctions at an alarming rate—estimated to average up to hundreds of species per week.
Olbrich’s “Secrets of the Canopy” meanders from the dark forest floor—with a jaguar lounging streamside above semiterrestrial slipper orchids and Cymbidium, up into the understory, where giant anaconda slink along the trail among swaying Dendrobium orchids. The vast majority of animals and plants inhabit the canopy layer of tropical forests worldwide. Here, spider monkeys swing from branch to branch, and most of Olbrich’s orchid collection would be at home. Occasionally, trees fall, and more light reaches lianas (climbing plants) to vine, crisscrossing throughout the canopy. Up in the mountains, cloud forests shrouded in mist reveal rare orchids adapted to harsh, yet enchanting conditions.
Only the oldest trees pop out in the emergent layer of the rainforest, where Toucans glide on winds that serve to disperse seed near and far. Humans have only scratched the surface in understanding the intricacies of tropical rainforests, and some secrets are better to keep.
Join us for an adventure in Olbrich's lush tropical rainforest!
$10 - General Admission | $6 - Child (ages 6-12) | FREE - Ages 5 & under | FREE - Olbrich members