Meyer-Deats Conservatory

Sunny conservatory with green ferns and wooden bench
Photo by Jason Boudreau-Landis
  • Enter the Snyder Building into the Snyder Lobby.
  • Turn left and head down the hallway past the literature racks.
  • Continue straight past the Snyder Auditorium.
  • The Conservatory will be your next left.

Home to numerous species of orchids, bromeliads, palms, ferns, cacti, air plants (and other epiphytes), houseplants and fruit trees, the Conservatory also features a rotating cast of dramatic characters, ranging from the wildly exotic (and stinky) corpse flower to common yet stunning moth orchids know as phalaenopsis with long flower stalks full of blooms.

The Arboretum’s horticultural experts keep things interesting by shuttling plants from other greenhouses across the grounds to make sure visitors can count on the Conservatory to surprise and delight with colorful blooms and, due to the tropical nature of the plants, intoxicating scents. 

The Conservatory, dedicated in 1980, is at its best during the Arboretum's month-long Spring Flower Show every February, including hundreds of orchids — in a rainbow of colors — decorating the sunny and warm Conservatory. 

Sculptures

Visitors can also find the following sculptures in the Conservatory: 

Plants of the Conservatory

phalaenopsis
Nepenthes 'Miranda'
Lysudamuloa Red Jewel 'Sweet Baby'
Pink blooming bromeliad
Bird of Paradise
Succulent balls
Yellow apple blossom