Detroit, Michigan

Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory

The Conservatory and surrounding gardens are located on thirteen acres on Belle Isle in Detroit. Designed by Albert Kahn and built in 1904, the Conservatory itself covers more than one acre, with a central dome 85 feet high dome providing 100,600 cubic feet of display space for large palms and other tropical trees. The South Wing contains tropical plants of economic importance such as bananas, oranges, coffee, sugar cane, and orchids. The North Wing houses the extensive collections of ferns, cacti and succulents. The Showhouse features a continuous display of blooming plants during the six major flower seasons of the year. The Conservatory has one of the largest municipally-owned orchid collections in the country, including 600 orchids from the collection Anna Scripps Whitcomb, an avid orchid breeder and grower. [ info ]