The 2026 Philadelphia Flower Show
Mark your calendar - if you’re in the Philadelphia area March 12 to 27 of next year, be sure to stop in at the Philadelphia Flower Show.
Last week, I had the opportunity to attend the 2026 exhibit. The Philadelphia Flower Show is an annual event hosted by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. It is the nation’s largest and longest-running indoor flower show and proceeds benefit the year-round programs organized and managed by the PHS. Started in 1829, the Philadelphia Flower Show gathers hundreds of talented florists, landscapers, and designers from around the world and showcases interesting plant varieties and garden and design concepts. The event also hosts competitions in horticulture and artistic floral arranging and growing. This year's theme was called "Rooted: Origins of American Gardening" - a celebration of the history and traditions that shape American gardening.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
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- This is the impressive Entrance Garden. It is the first garden visitors see upon entering the show. Titled “The Forest Floor” it features a sweeping 200 foot Floral Arch from the Philadelphia Horticultural Society.
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- This year’s Entrance Garden focuses on the history of gardening in America, with the entrance designed to create an immediate and dramatic impact.
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- This Entrance Garden is also features local landscape elements, and an immersive aroma therapy experience.
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- Here is a close up of the display from the Schaffer Designs’ exhibit, showing two contrasting sides, each rising from its own roots. Above, a network inspired by mycelium, symbolizing partnership, collaboration, and shared growth.
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- The pink trees in the back are Prunus x incam ‘Okame.’
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- This display was done by Alex Segura Arana, one of four international florists that exhibit in “First Bloom – Rooted in Memory,” where they share the origin moments that sparked their passion for flowers. Other artists include Gábor Nagy, Chantal Post, and Conny van der Westerlaken.
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- This photo was taken at the PHS Hamilton Horticourt, where every year garden enthusiasts showcase their prized plants and skills to compete for awards. This is a cacti display.
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- Shown here is Echinopsis pachanoi f. cristata in ‘variegated form.’
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- This is Clivia Miniata. I also have many clivias at my farm. Clivia miniata, the Natal lily or bush lily, is a species of flowering plant in the genus Clivia of the family Amaryllidaceae. It is native to woodland habitats in South Africa.
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- This section shows Chanaecyparis, which is often more recognized by its common names, cypress or false cypress.
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- Deuterocohnia brevifolia, a species of plant in the family Bromeliaceae. This species is native to Argentina and Bolivia, and is popular and interesting as a potted houseplant with its mounding form.
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- In this area – Sansavieria plants, or snake plants, which are low-maintenance, drought-tolerant, and air-purifying indoor plants that thrive in bright indirect light.
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- These are clivias. Clivia flowers primarily bloom in vibrant shades of orange, yellow, and red, with many cultivars in interesting variations like creamy yellow, peachy-pink, apricot, and even white with green tints.
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- There is always so much one can learn from attending a flower show. These unusual plants are Bowiea volubilis, or climbing onions. They are succulent perennials that thrive in the dry desert regions of eastern and southern Africa.
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- There was also a large display of begonias. There are thousands of species and varieties of begonias. Some are classified as tuberous, and others as fibrous, but it’s the rhizomatous begonias that make beautiful houseplants all year long because of the amazing colors, shapes, sizes, and textures of their foliage.
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- Cleistocactus winteri a succulent of the family Cactaceae. Its common name is the golden rat tail.
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- These are various Euphorbia specimens. Euphorbia is a large and diverse genus of flowering plants, commonly called spurge
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- Cactus plants were shown at the Philadelphia Flower Show as early as 1831, and one of the highlights of the 1891 Flower Show was an exhibit of 500 cacti by Mr. A. Blanc, a Philadelphian who had the largest cactus nursery in the United States. The show features cacti every year.
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- Here is a display of various ferns.
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- Here – various rhododendrons and azaleas in bloom. I can’t wait to see all my azaleas blooming this year.
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- Cymbidiums flower anywhere from four to 12 weeks on the plant and last at least two to four-weeks as cut flowers.
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- This is David A. Rubin’s Antique Garden Tool Collection. This display of garden implements represents the human past of “writing” the earth, and a long tradition of invention and ingenuity.
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- This part of the collection shows various shovels and spades.
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- And every time I attend the Philadelphia Flower Show it is always nice to catch up with PHS President Matt Rader and Seth Pearsoll, Creative Director and Vice President of the Philadelphia Flower Show. Thank you to the Pennsylvania Horticulture Society for a wonderful and informative show. (Photo by Morgan Horell for PHS)
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