Diving Deeper: Plants Under the Sea

By Heather Poling

While visiting Summer Flower Show: Under the Sea, it’s easy to get swept away by the larger-than-life fish topiaries, the animatronic shark or the giant clam with its shiny pearl.  If you take a closer look, there are so many small details in the show that we don’t want you to miss! Phipps' fabulous horticulture team put so many clever elements in the show to enhance the under the sea illusion. Let’s take a deep dive into the plants that provide the backdrop for these gorgeous displays.

The plants were chosen not just for their stunning appearance, but for their resemblance to sea creatures. For instance, the mythic stingray Alocasia recalls the elegant wings and long tail of the stingray. You can find this plant in the Welcome Center and throughout the displays.

Golden shrimp and Red shrimp plants are also found throughout the show. These unique tropical plants are popular in warm climates, but can be grown as a houseplant or annual in our region! The colorful plants sport vibrant bracts which are specialized leaves, not petals. The bright yellow and red bracts on the shrimp plants overlap and sprout small white flowers which gives the plant a crustacean like appearance.

The next sea-themed plant is the ‘Lobster Claw Heliconia’. The large red bracts, hiding the actual small flowers of the plant, look like bright red lobster claws! Heliconias are native to Central and South America, thriving in tropical environments.

Many of the plants in the summer show were chosen to mimic the shape of sea plants. The Euphorbia Tirucalli, commonly known as a pencil cactus, mimics the look of coral. The Echeveria, ‘Pink Ruffle’ could be a sea slug and Sansevieria ‘Boncel’ look like sea stars. Senior Plant Procurement, Recording and Design Associate Laura Schoch remarks that these plants were not chosen just for their relation to the sea, but because they can stand up to the intense conditions of the Conservatory.

Most of the supporting plants in this show are in the succulent family and can be grown at home! The String of Turtles plant, a popular houseplant, looks like a myriad of tiny turtle shells and is used in many display rooms. If you want to grow a little under the sea plant at home, the String of Turtles are generally easy to find. Laura says that succulents are easy to care for and that “they almost demand that they get left alone”. She advises not to fertilize them in the winter, water them when needed and give them bright, indirect light.

Other plants were included simply for their ocean themed names and a number of them can be found in the Broderie Room! Two colorful coleus varieties: Under the Sea Lime Shrimp and Under the Sea Urchin Neon are featured in the boarders and planters. Look for other sea named plants such as, Zinnias: ‘Profusion Double Deep Salmon’, Impatiens: ‘Magnum Salmon’, and the ‘Clam Shell Orchids’.

As you stroll through the show, “sea” how many themed plants you can find. Pay close attention to the details and you’ll find no shortage of underwater discoveries to make on your next visit. We hope your search goes swimmingly!