The United States Botanical Garden is the perfect destination
for forgetting about city life and getting back nature. The indoor conservatory
features 13 different environments that showcase countless trees, flowers,
foliage, and herbs.
Guests enter the conservatory at the Garden Court. This room
is complete with colorful fountains and ethno-botanical plants that have played
a major role in human development. From
there guests can weave their way through a maze of other environments,
including the jungle, Hawaii, garden primeval, and desert. Be prepared for some pretty wild sights and
scents!
The jungle environment is situated at the center of the conservatory.
It’s glass dome reaches almost 100 feet high! You can view a winding stream on
the forest floor or climb up to the mezzanine level to observe the canopy
layer.
I highly recommend checking out the orchid exhibit. There are hundreds of specimens displayed at
one time. These differ between naturally
occurring and hybrid species.
The Botanical Garden also features an exhibit dedicated to
many critically endangered species. One such plant is the Brighamia insignis,
otherwise known as “cabbage on a stick.” There is only one known plant still
existing in the jungles of Hawaii. It is
native to the islands and the population has been depleted due to grazing
animals, invasive species, and the loss of pollinators.
A trip to the Botanical Garden allows you to travel all over the world while remaining right on the National Mall. You will be shocked at how strange and beautiful a bunch of plants can be!
-Kiera Finelli
No comments:
Post a Comment