Plants festival returns to the Santa Ana Zoo

A jungle of greenery sparkled with lilacs and pinks, greeted you as you walked into a dark blue canopy at the Santa Ana Zoo. Orchids, including some homegrown in California to Washington, were brought in from all over the world, ranging from Canada to Colombia, Ecuador, Taiwan, China and elsewhere. Flowers such as these you would only be able to find in special orchid shows.

For the fifth consecutive year, the 44th edition of the Fascination of Orchids and Exotic Plants Festival took place at the zoo this past weekend from Sept. 26 to 28.

Santa Ana community members and families took to the zoo to visit the show, learn about how to care for the flora in workshops and classes, and had a chance to view, choose and purchase from multiple orchids and exotic plants.

The show has evolved over many years and was originally hosted at South Coast Plaza instead of the zoo. Photo by Kaitlyn Han / el Don

“The zoo is an arboretum and we do have a number of orchid specimens established in the zoo in addition to many other unique shrubs, ferns and trees from around the world,” said Ethan Fisher, Zoo Director, via email.

Orchids at the show ranged from $15 to some blossoms exceeding $200. Photo by Kaitlyn Han / el Don

The zoo offered a 50% discount on entrance to the zoo and festival for just $7. The backdrop of the zoo provided a space for attendees to not only see the orchid show and experience the zoo.

At the show, a wide variety of plants and orchids in terms of size, species, and even some hybrids/cultivars were available to smell, see and take home. Hybrids and cultivars are a cross between different species of orchid.

The largest number of orchids come from South America. Photo by Kaitlyn Han / el Don

According to Fisher, the orchids were ethically sourced and many of them are very sensitive. Orchids can be very seasonal and imperative to their natural habitat, so all orchids provided are commercially cultivated. Growers pick out the flowers based on different traits like the number of flowers on the plant, the color or specific pattern, fragrance or adaptability.

“Some orchids are sold in markets and big box stores. However, they are often of a lower quality and are not well taken care of at those places. Many who buy those are often disappointed at their longevity and give up on growing orchids,” said Tony Glinskas, a representative from the orchid society.

Some of the plants at the show were growing without any substrate or hanging from the ceiling.

For those who missed the festival, some orchids that were available at the show can be purchased online at the vendor’s websites directly and can be found under the vendor list. The Fascination of Orchids is a non-profit organization that aims to provide funding, inform communities and continues to increase education for orchids and exotic plants.

The event also had a special table near the front dedicated to orchids grown by community members.

To learn more about how to care for and grow orchids and exotic plants or other orchid society events, visit the Fascination of Orchids website.