US (NY): Thousands of orchids bloom at Orchidelirium

Like a fireworks show at its peak, the New York Botanical Garden's new orchid show is a vibrant display of shape and color. The display, dubbed Orchidelirium, offers up thousands of blooming plants native to the world's tropics, bombarding you with deep crimson, lush purple, simple white.

Orchidelirium is a term sourced from the late 19th Century, during the Victorian era when European travelers began hunting, collecting, and selling orchids at a rabid pace. To London's leisure class, the flowers represented power and opulence, and as demand rose, the search for orchids became a serious—even dangerous—business.

"When you hear about the people who died to get them, some of the irresponsible practices, you appreciate what we have now," said Christian Primeau, manager of the Haupt Conservatory. Take a guided tour of Orchidelirium and you'll learn of the lengths Victorians went to for the sake of these blossoms. It wasn't unheard of for an explorer to dig an orchid plant out form the ground, then burn the entire area, making it impossible for others to find the same plant.

Read more and look at the photos at Gothamist