The Michigan Lewis Ginter Exhibit runs through August 29 and highlights stunning botanical displays. The exhibit features a variety of plants arranged to show off their colors, textures, and forms. Visitors can enjoy carefully curated gardens that bring each plant to life.
The event captures the creativity and beauty of horticulture in one space. It’s a chance to experience a wide range of plants all in one visit.
1. Giant Water Lilies
These massive floating wonders can support the weight of a small child! Native to the Amazon, these spectacular plants have made their way to Michigan for a limited time.
Visitors often gasp when seeing their dinner-plate-sized pads stretching across the exhibition pond. The night-blooming varieties open at dusk, releasing a vanilla-like fragrance.
2. Butterfly Paradise
Hundreds of colorful butterflies flutter freely in this magical enclosed garden space. Michigan’s climate has been carefully replicated inside the temperature-controlled environment.
Watch as these delicate creatures land on tropical flowers and sometimes even on visitors! The exhibit features over 30 species, including the striking blue morpho and monarch butterflies.
3. Bonsai Collection
Some of these miniature trees are over 100 years old! The ancient Japanese art form is beautifully represented with specimens rarely seen outside specialized collections.
Michigan’s own bonsai masters have contributed several pieces to this stunning display. Each tiny tree tells a story of patience and artistic vision, with some specimens valued at thousands of dollars.
4. Orchid Tower
Rising fifteen feet high, this spiral structure showcases over 200 rare orchid varieties. The tower’s design allows visitors to experience these exotic blooms from every angle.
Michigan’s humidity this time of year creates perfect viewing conditions for these delicate flowers. Look for the ghost orchid—it blooms for just two weeks and seems to float in midair!
5. Desert Oasis
An unexpected sight in Michigan—cacti and succulents creating striking geometric patterns across a sandy landscape. The contrast between these drought-resistant plants and the state’s typically lush environment makes this display particularly fascinating.
Rare specimens from Arizona and Mexico thrive in this carefully controlled microclimate. Don’t miss the century plant, which flowers just once after decades of growth!
6. Carnivorous Garden
Venus flytraps snap shut while pitcher plants wait patiently for their next meal. This eerie collection showcases nature’s most fascinating meat-eating plants in action.
Michigan’s own native pitcher plants are featured alongside exotic varieties from around the world. Special feeding demonstrations happen twice daily, allowing visitors to see these plants’ remarkable trapping mechanisms up close.
7. Living Wall
A vertical masterpiece covering three stories with thousands of plants growing sideways! This architectural wonder uses sustainable irrigation systems to maintain its lush appearance.
Michigan artists collaborated with botanists to create this living tapestry that changes with the seasons. The wall incorporates native ferns, flowering vines, and mosses in patterns inspired by Great Lakes waves.
8. Cherry Blossom Walk
Usually only blooming in spring, these specially cultivated cherry trees have been coaxed to flower during summer months. Walking beneath their pink canopy feels like stepping into a fairy tale.
Michigan’s climate typically doesn’t support summer cherry blossoms, making this display truly special. The walkway stretches for nearly a quarter mile, with benches placed strategically for optimal viewing and photography.
9. Rainforest Canopy
Step into Michigan’s only indoor rainforest exhibit featuring plants from three continents! Mist falls gently from above as you explore this multi-level tropical wonderland.
Rare bromeliads and orchids cling to tree branches while colorful birds flit between them. The elevated walkway takes visitors through different layers of the rainforest, from forest floor to upper canopy.
10. Illuminated Night Gardens
As darkness falls, thousands of tiny lights transform the gardens into a magical wonderland. Michigan evenings provide the perfect backdrop for this breathtaking light show that combines art and nature.
Special night-blooming plants open under moonlight while illuminated pathways guide visitors through scented gardens. The display includes light projections that dance across water features and interactive light installations responding to movement.