Warmth and blooming flowers all winter long

In counterpoint to the quiet beauty of cacti and orchids are heliconias, showing off vivid reds and oranges. The equally festive bird of paradise (Strelitzia reginae) struts its exotic purple and orange “plumage.”

One of Bouley’s favorite species to watch at this time of year is the ivory cane palm (Pinanaga kuhlii), which “looks like a pink octopus as the fruit ages,” she says, adding that banana trees are also producing fruit now, so kids can see their favorite snack food dangling from trees.

The display of carnivorous plants, with their space-creature forms that evolved to entice and trap insects as a source of nitrogen, is one of the botanical center’s most fascinating attractions, year-round.

Through November, several species (including tropical pitcher plants, sundews, and Venus’ flytraps) will be sending out striking flowers, some as otherworldly as the insect-trapping parts of the plant.

Outside the glass, the conservatory grounds will also present attractive new plants this fall and winter. Searle and Searle landscape architects and planners of Providence recently planted trees and shrubs with features that draw attention year-round.

They include dwarf conifers with unusual forms and textures, such as a Korean fir with whitish needles and purple cones; trees with interesting bark, including paper- and coral-bark maples; and fruiting shrubs such as winterberry, a holly that sheds its leaves but keeps its scarlet berries all winter, says Lalla Searle, co-owner of the firm.

The landscape architects also just finished a new rose maze behind the conservatory. Set within a circle about 100 feet in diameter and enclosed by arches for climbing roses, the maze features concentric rings of low-growing roses, which will outline a pattern. The young shrubs will take about three years to fill in, Ms. Searle says.

As the current profusion of flowers fades, and New England slips into December and January, the botanical center will continue to abound with exotic sights and sounds – and relief from the mid-winter blues.

“The palms, especially the 35-foot-tall fishtail palms, are always a focal point when entering the building, at any time of year,” Bouley notes. “During the holiday season, the staff will add poinsettias and other seasonal plants.”

Orchids will still be present, too, as well as plants selected for their brilliantly colored and multitextured foliage. Two low fountains, plus a third that feeds a 68-foot-long pool in a separate room, create a soothing burble. One pool is home to calico goldfish, which dart about in crystal-clear water beneath overhanging leaves. “Orchids and fish,” Bouley says, “are not things you’d expect to see anywhere around here in December and January.”

And in February, the subtropical spring arrives, and a new cycle of bloom begins again.

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