Como Zoo Conservatory
1225 Estabrook Drive Saint Paul, MN 55103
Winter Flower Show
Saturday, January 9 through Sunday, March 14, 2021
The 2021 Winter Flower Show will feature a stunning display of flowering trees and shrubs. Highlights will include purple azaleas, blue hibiscus, and pink camellias. Lilies, veltheimia, and amaryllis will add beautiful pink and red accents throughout the show.
Today, I got to experience a once in a lifetime opportunity that most 17-year-olds don’t usually get to experience on a regular basis. Originally, I thought that I was going on a ride along to a site visit at a watershed in suburban Andover to do some photography, but guess what? I got to do that and more.
My day started off by getting ready to go with my “Friday Supervisor”, Melissa Wenzel of BWSR to Andover. When we got there, Melissa and I were a little confused as to where we supposed to meet up with one of our colleagues, Ali Boese and some of the people she was installing the lilies with. While Melissa went out to find Ali, I stayed back and took some pictures of the beautiful plants and scenery. I have never experienced a place so quiet, serene, and beautiful at the same time. Several amazing pictures later, I met up with Melissa and the crew as they were prepping to install the waterlilies in the watershed.
I then met Victoria, who works at the Como Park Zoo and Conservatory as a Horticulturist, Dan, who’s described as a “walking encyclopedia of all things plant related”, Carol and her daughter, who works with Dan at BWSR (Carol not her daughter obviously), and Ali and her daughter Echo. Big thanks to Como Friends for sponsoring Victoria’s work! I continued to take pictures around the area the waterlilies were to be installed, when I was asked by Ali if I wanted to help out with installing the waterlilies. I’m not going to lie, I was pretty hesitant at first, because one, I have never been canoeing/been in a canoe and two, I was going to get dirty. But you know what, this was a great opportunity, so I went for it! And I’m so glad I did. I was so amazed at the different species of aquatic plants that I saw. Not only that, but I got to see a couple waterlilies in bloom! I was honored to help place a few of the waterlilies into the water. To be honest, I was a little scared because I thought I was going to mess up the waterlilies or drop it so hard that everyone got splashed. Although, a lot of splashing happened, I didn’t mind it at all. I’m not usually a water person, but something about being in a canoe changed all of that.
Floating in the water, surrounded by various plants, on a nice, quiet, sunny day, really made being in the water worthwhile. Going out on this site visit, gave me a new perspective on nature and how valuable it is to protect native and non-native plants. What once used to be a golf course, is now a protected watershed for everyone to enjoy. Just being able to be outside and helping improve an ecosystem, really makes a difference, not just for native plants, but for the whole state.
-Carrol Williams
In 2005, the Nagasaki-Saint Paul Sister City Committee presented Camphor Tree seeds to the City of Saint Paul in honor of the 50-year relationship between the two cities. The seeds came from Camphor/Kusu (Cinnamon camphora) trees located one-half mile from ground zero of the atomic blast in Nagasaki, Japan on August 9, 1945. The trees were stripped of bark, burned, and defoliated, but then recovered quickly and provided inspiration to the residents of Nagasaki who were trying to rebuild their lives.
Como Friends invests in best practice care to preserve the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory’s collection of orchids
Animals aren’t the only living things at Como Park Zoo and Conservatory that require occasional health care. Just like the polar bears and the penguins, the plants at the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory undergo regular check-ups and get plenty of follow-up care, thanks to your contributions to Como Friends.
This year, in fact, more than 1,600 of Como’s orchids will be tested for Odontoglossum ringspot virus and Cymbidium mosiac virus–two common viruses that can devastate cultivated orchids. Working with the plant pathology department at the University of Minnesota, Como horticulturists detected the virus in several plants two years ago, and have been working to eradicate further infection by culling plants that test positive for the virus, and adopting strict sanitation protocols when repotting and tending the orchids.
“While some plants become symptomatic and lose their vigor, some very old orchids that are still blooming have also tested positive for the virus,” says horticultural curator Tina Dombrowski. “We’re being diligent about testing each plant for infection because every orchid we propagate could be perpetuating the virus, and we want to keep our collection healthy. We’re fortunate to have the support of Como Friends which is investing in the test kits we need to preserve a robust and beautiful collection of orchids.”
Every year, Como Friends’ board of directors approves more than $325,000 in grants for projects like this, providing the resources Como Zoo and the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory need to invest in high priority improvements and emergent needs. “It’s just one of the ways Como Friends invests private support into efforts that benefit the collections the public enjoys at Como,” says Como Friends president Jackie Sticha. “Como’s orchids provide so much color and inspiration during the long winters, it’s worth it to invest in their long-term health.”
Dale K. and Fox 9 stopped by to check out the new Winter Flower Show!
Volunteers Ken Ellis and Mike Porcaro have been attending to the Bonsai collection for decades. Hear their story in the video below courtesy of our friends at WCCO.
The Incredible Edible Garden opened in June and has been getting rave reviews from both visitors and the press. IgniteChannel recently praised us for incorporating for producing produce for both the community and for our animals all while serving as an educational guide for our visitors. Thank you to everyone who makes the Edible Garden so successful!
Read the full article HERE:
Fox-9 stopped by Como yesterday to profile one of Como’s most distinguished volunteers! Gretchen Estes has put in more than 3,500 hours over 22 years of volunteering at Como! A big “Thank You” to Gretchen for her years of service! KMSP-TV
Over the past few weeks I have been hand pollinating Vanilla planifolia flowers in the North Garden. This is one of the vanilla orchids from which vanilla pods are produced . There are over a 100 species of vanilla in this genus. Only a handful of the species are used for flavorings. When a vanilla flower is pollinated, the seed pod that is produced is the vanilla “bean” that is used in the flavoring of food and as an addition to many other products. It is not a true “bean” (like a green bean) but actually an orchid seed pod. We have 3 different kinds of vanilla in the North Garden, all climbing on the wall between the North Garden and the Palm Dome. Two of the species of vanilla are blooming today. I have been hand pollinating this flush of flowers on the Vanilla planifolia since March 5th. Vanilla grows in many parts of the world, like Madagascar, where its pollinators do not live. The vanilla we have is native to parts of Mexico. So it needs to be hand pollinated to produce fruits.Flowers grow in clusters and a few open each day over about a 6 week period. The flowers are receptive to being pollinated for only 4-6 hours, generally in the early morning. I have been pollinating the flowers about 10am any day that I can get the lift and have access to open flowers. I have attempted pollination of 45 flowers since March 5 and it looks like there are at least a dozen pods that have formed!!! Yay!! Not fantastic odds but my goal was to get one pod—so I am doing OK!! This is the first time that I have had success pollinating vanilla! Go vanilla!!- Gardener Margaret
The Conservatory has been around for 100 years! We know that everyone has a unique story and experience in this wonderful building, so now is your chance to share them! Use the hashtag #MMC100 on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to share your pics and experiences with us! The Marjorie McNeely Conservatory turns 100 this year! Use the hashtag #MMC100 to share your pics and experiences! pic.twitter.com/wfC8PYW9wm— Como Zoo (@ComoZoo) March 9, 2015
Dale K and Fox 9 stopped by yesterday and learned about some of the amazing plants we have in Tropical Encounters!
Not only did he get a personal tour from Bryn, one of our Gardeners, but he also got a surprise visit from Zookeeper Bree and Chloe!
The Holiday Flower Show tradition began in 1925 and continues to be the most anticipated and visited flower attraction at the Conservatory today. It is a visual sensation to behold featuring hundreds of poinsettias. Orange is the new red in the 2014 Holiday Show and will feature a new Poinsettia called Autumn Leaves, a beautiful mix of yellow and pink bracts. The show will be complimented with the following Poinsettia cultivars: Orange Spice, Maren, Marco Polo, Premium Apricot, and Sparkling Punch to give the show more orange, pinks, cinnamon and apricot colors. The two toned yellow Coleus Wild Lime will accent the poinsettias.
Come check out the Bat Flower or Tacca chantrieri in the Palm Dome! Known for its black color, this flower can grow up to 12 inches across and has long ‘whiskers’ that can go grow as long as 28 inches! The Bat Flower is native to tropical regions of Southeast Asia including Thailand, Malaysia, and southern China.
