Photos: Jaw-Dropping Display Of Flora For NYBG's 'Thailand' Orchid Show

An explosion of colors and shapes awaits you at the New York Botanical Garden, which will open its 15th annual Orchid Show tomorrow. This year's theme is Thailand, and you'll see that in its topiary elephants, covered in orchids, as well as a stunning orchid-decked façade of a sala, the traditional open pavilion,

The NYBG explains, "Thailand is home to more than 1,200 native orchid species and over the last century it has become the leading exporter of cultivated tropical orchids in the world."

And, yes, one of the programs accompanying The Orchid Show is a screening of Adaptation, the whimsical Charlie Kaufman/Spike Jonze film based on Susan Orlean's wonderful book about the plant and obsession around them, The Orchid Thief.

Our photographer, Scott Heins, reports back that Thailand "continues the NYBG Orchid Show tradition of being serenely beautiful. The fine details of Thai altars, hanging lanterns, and of course, those elephants, mean that even if you've been to past Orchid shows, you'll find plenty of new things to enjoy. The Garden's staff has done a great job with information boards explaining why Thailand's climate is paradise for orchid plants—and in the middle of February, the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory's tropical climate feels like paradise for New Yorkers."

"The Orchid Show: Thailand" opens Saturday, February 18, and runs through April 9, 2017. There are a number of "Orchid Evenings" in March and April, if you want a private look at the flora, plus open bar.