American Orchid Society Expands Its Jungle Gardens with Rare Botanical Delights; New Phase to Open October 25 October 24, 2008

Visitors to the American Orchid Society’s botanical garden will be able to stroll along a tree-lined path to the property’s lake, as part of an expansion that is scheduled to open October 25, 2008.

Dubbed Lake Huntington Walk, the half-acre addition will have a walking path that loops down to Lake Huntington and past about 40 exotic new trees, fresh shrubs and a beautiful display of new heliconias, bromeliads and orchids.

“Everything we put back there is either rare or very special,” said Nicholas Ewy, director of the AOS greenhouse and gardens, which cover 3.5 acres. “It’s the largest expansion we’ve done.”

The new area features trees donated by two local nurseries, many of which were already mature. So while the garden itself is newly established, many of the trees will look like they’ve been there for years.

“Thankfully a lot of the trees we have acquired have been large, 15- to 20- foot trees,” said Ewy, who is in charge of the expansion. “There are some well-grown specimens.”

The largest donation, worth about $15,000, came from Southeast Growers Inc. in exchange for a few trees and other plant material from the AOS gardens. Among the acquisitions from Southeast are the Cashew, a South American tree that produces an odd-looking fruit that contains the cashew nut; the Balsa, a tree from Central and South America whose lightweight wood is often used for model building; and the Looking Glass Tree, an African coastal tree that forms beautiful, sinuous buttresses with age and has leaves with a silvery white underside that reflects sunlight.

Also featured is the Wallichia distichia, a unique-looking palm from Asia, whose leaves grow in a flat plane rather than encircling the trunk like most palm trees. From J.E.M. Orchids, a nearby nursery that recently closed, AOS received a number of trees, including the Calabash, which is a perfect host for orchids and other epiphytes, and the Sapodilla, whose sap was the original source of chewing gum.

While Ewy has installed mulch and gravel paths throughout the new garden, he said he hopes to find a donor to cover the cost of paving the paths with bricks or concrete.
The new expansion is an extension of the Jungle Garden, Ewy said, but it warranted its own name.

“Lake Huntington Walk seemed most fitting,” he said.
ABOUT THE AMERICAN ORCHID SOCIETY:
With nearly 18,000 members around the world, the AOS is recognized as a leader in orchid education, research, and conservation. It is the largest special-interest horticultural organization in the world. The AOS Visitors Center and Botanical Garden has also become a popular site for corporate meetings and special events, such as weddings and private parties.
The AOS facility and gardens are open to the public daily from 10am until 4:30pm. Admissions are $10 for adults and free for children under 12. Seniors 65 and older receive $1 off regular admission. The AOS Botanical Garden is located at 16700 AOS Lane, Delray Beach, FL 33446. For more information, please call 561-404-2000 or visit www.aos.org.

Official Website: http://www.aos.org