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The Bronx may sound like a trek for those from the other boroughs, but there are certain events each year that are worth the trek. The New York Botanical Garden's annual orchid show is one of them. The flower display, one of the garden's most popular exhibitions, brings together thousands of plants from both the garden's own collection and dozens of growers around the country. This year's show opens Saturday, with the theme “Orchidelirium,” harkening back to the early history of orchid collecting. The exhibit is always stunning (see photos from past years below), but it's all the more impressive when broken down by the numbers. Whip out these fun facts when you visit:
Horticultural staff members who worked on this year’s show: 31
Size of the exhibition space: 18,000 square feet
Marriage proposals per night during the show’s Orchid Evenings: At least one
Diameter of the smallest flowers: Less than 2mm
Diameter of largest flowers: More than 6mm
Orchid plants in the garden’s collection: Nearly 7,000
Number of U.S. states from which the plants are shipped (before they bloom): Six
Senior centers in the Bronx to which NYBG donates the leftover orchids after the show: Approximately one dozen
Visitors to the show each year: More than 150,000
Photograph: Talisman Brolin
Photograph: Talisman Brolin
Photograph: Talisman Brolin
The Orchid Show: Orchidelirium runs Sat 27–April 17 at the NYBG. Tickets are $20.