During our visit to St. Louis last week, I had the drop me off at the Missouri Botanical Garden where I visited their tropical house called the Climatron and an adjoining simi-tropical building. I could have stayed there for hours but they only gave me a couple so I made it do. Here are some unedited pictures for your enjoyment:






















A couple of comments: The orchids had no tag so who knows?
Row 2 first pic is a cycad, probably Lepidozamia peroffskyana.
Row 3, pics 2 and 3 are of a screw pine.
Row 4, pic 1 looks like purple ginger.
The little signs precede the photos.
Row 9, can someone id the bird?
Row 11, pic 2 is a tree aloe like the one I recently bought at Tropiflora.
Row 12, pic 3, gotta love that quiver tree.
Row 16, pic 1, isn't that jasmine cool?
Row 17, pic 3, love that Aeonium!
Row 20, pic 2, huge leaf on that palm but no sign. I'll guess an Attalea cohune but am probably wrong. Biggest leaf I've ever seen.
Row 21, pic 2, love the Japanese red pine.
Row 21, pic 3 is an outside picture of the rose garden

Jim

Row 4 pic 1 = row 6 pic 2 is not a Ginger but close: Dichorisandra thyrsiflora, "Blue ginger" (but a Commelinaceae and no Zingiberaceae).
Pic 1, 5, 6 are Cattleya, hope there is a specialist on board? Pic 2, perhaps some Encyclia.
Row 4 pic 2: Schaueria calycotricha?
Row 3, pic1: Solandra maxima?

Ruud.

Looks like you had a great trip! The bird looks like maybe a Tanager? Maybe a Scarlet Tanager. A beauty for sure!

Great show Jim, I evny you the visit to the Climatron.

There is a big hullabaloo going on right now between various factions in Botanical Gardens. One side wants labels on everything for educational purposes and the other side says labels distract from the overall look of the plant in the setting. I think many BG's are doing like the one you saw and IDing some plants but not all. Aquariums have graphics near the big tanks with pictures of the individual fish you might see, it is too bad BG's don't have something similar for the plants.

Jim, I enjoyed the tour very much! Thanks for sharing!!

I am too cautious to even attempt identifying the Orchids, there are too many possibilities.

I'm in love with the name....Climatron.....
It looks like you made the best of your short visit...lots of cool stuff there!
I like the Blue Ginger...the B & B I stayed at in Seminole Heights, FL had a HUGE one in full bloom..just breathtaking!
thanks for sharing!

Great photos Jim, in my much younger days I used to live across the river from St. Louis in a town called O'Fallon, Ill. and have made several trips there. I seem to remember one of our high school trips was there but I'm really unsure as that was way back in the 60s.

Yes, Chris, I know where O'Fallon is as we stayed near there. The gardens used to be call Shaw Gardens so perhaps that will jog your memory of the place.

Tara, you are probably right about the scarlet tanager. He was quite the handsome fellow and he had a wonderful place to hang out.

Lindsey, I like the name "climatron" too. The next one of us who builds a greenhouse should consider that for the name. Kathy?

I really wanted to ID that plant with the giant leaf (row 9, pic 3 and row 20, pic 2) but could fine no one to ask. Most of the help are clueless and the one person who knows can never be found. Alice, I am for the labels on everything as that is how I learn, which should be the purpose of the place.

I'm glad many of you enjoyed the pictures. It is always nice to share with friends.

Jim

There are 86 species of Licuala, I wonder if your mystery plant is not one of them.

I thought about Licuala ssp. also, Alice. I used to have one with a perfectly round leaf, 'grandis' I think, but lost it to the cold. They are sensitive even in south Florida. Fred struggles with them in Naples. I'll have to sift through some images of them to see if I can find this big leafed fellow.

Jim

On second thoughts, the lip is too big for Encyclia, the other are Cattleya too, so what about some Brassocattleya binosa cultivar?

Ruud

What a beautiful place! Lots of great pics Jim, thanks for sharing!

I'm curious about row 3, pic 1........is that an orchid? The leaves look orchid-y, but not the flower...

Row 1, pic 2 looks like your two Maikai's!

hawkarica said:Yes, Chris, I know where O'Fallon is as we stayed near there. The gardens used to be call Shaw Gardens so perhaps that will jog your memory of the place.
I'm glad many of you enjoyed the pictures. It is always nice to share with friends.
Jim

I definitely remember that Jim. I'm surprised there was no one there to assist with naming plants. Must be due to cutbacks or something. O'Fallon used to be a little place when I lived there before I went in the Army in '68, I couldn't believe how large it's gotten the last time we were home. Did you visit the Planetarium/Science Center while you were there?

Funny, I was working at the Aeronautical Chart and Information Center down by the Bush Brewery when drafted into the army in 1968. We could have been standing in some of the same lines. I saw the old map factory during my visit, still looking about the same. Much has changed but the food is still first class. I didn't have a chance to visit the Planetarium or science center but did wonder about Forest Park for a while. I always liked St. Louis.

As for the orchid in Row 1, Photo 2, it looks like a Brassavola/Cattley cross to me but some of those names have changed so naming it would be difficult.

Jim

I just thought that one looked like 2 of yours Jim.

I was really more curious about Row 3, photo 1, is it an orchid or something else??

Solandra maxima (cup of gold vine)

Wonderful garden tour, Jim. I agree on the tags, I'd like to see more of the plants with ID's at Selby, too. Always the one's I like best are the ones with no tags.

Lindsey, the blue ginger grows pretty easily here if you can find someone to give you a start. In fact, you might want to plant it somewhere it can be contained. I loved the flowers on mine (but it's gotten itself lost in my jungle at present) but was disappointed it has no fragrance. I love the fragrant gingers, but the blue one isn't a ginger at all.

THANKS, Carol!

Elaine, I saw some of the fragrant white hydicium (sp?) at Fairchild..and was tempted
to get one...but am trying NOT to get involved in gardening...and just enjoy my orchids...
gardening is such back breaking work, and lets face it...I'm not getting any younger!!!

Jim, I first started going up there when I was stationed at Fort Leonard Wood. Early seventies and still find it "new" and exciting!