#smithsonian gardens

Not only does it stink, but part of this orchid resembles wriggling maggots. A great gift! 

This specimen of Bulbophyllum phalaenopsis, charmingly nicknamed “Bucky,” once nearly shut down a @smithsoniangardens greenhouse for DAYS because of its stench. 

When it was first donated to us, few people outside Asia had seen the species, though it is recorded in early writings as smelling like “a thousand dead elephants rotting in the sun.” 

Bucky’s species (originally from Papua New Guinea) targets female carrion flies as pollinators, with a flower head that has a cluster of 15 to 20 meat-colored flowers covered with fleshy projections. If that weren’t enough, it evolved to have a fragrance that matches its appearance.

Carrot top of the morning to you. 

In the Victorian era, whimsical seed cards like this one were all the rage, inspiring people to buy seeds and collect the cards that came with them. 

Along with being collectors’ items, seed and nursery cards document the history of U.S. agricultural business and advertising. They tell a story about how American gardening has been shaped by history, social attitudes, the environment and innovation. 

What story do you think this gentleman would tell? 

Dig into history in our new exhibition “Cultivating America’s Gardens” from @smithsonianlibraries and@smithsoniangardens, open through August 2018 at our National Museum of American History.