Congratulations Andy, and thanks for the great photos. Needless to say, that Jungle Jade got me salivating - what a beauty! We don't often see such strongly variegated V. platynema as that one - wow! I also love that Quesnelia edmundoi var. rubrobracteata. It is one of my top 20 favourite broms. Mine thrive growing epiphytically and glow dark red in the sun. All the plants are beautifully grown. You had some stiff competition Andy - but red is good! Sounds like you're their man for future shows, having survived twin chairs. Bring on the WBC! K :)

Greetings to all! Yes. They are everywhere. Here in city (Medellin) it's pretty much Tillandsia recurvata and Catopsis. Once you get out in to the country around here there is just about any thing you might want. Phil

Evelyn, you can find admission details on the San Diego Zoo web site: http://zoo.sandiegozoo.org/tickets. Admission is pricey if you're going just for the bus tour, so I recommend making a day of it or getting the annual pass. The Zoo staff and web site are strangely reticent with information about plant day. Neither the Orchid House nor the tour bus pickup spot are marked on the map or web site, and some of the volunteers are unsure of the location of either. Attached is an image showing the (current) location of both. I hope this makes it easier for first-time visitors. The left yellow arrow points to the Bus Unloading area, which is where the Botanical Bus Tour loads. The right yellow arrow points to the Orchid House, behind the meerkat habitat.

I will try to ID some of your question plants: #104 is a Ficus dammeropsis (as is #82); First large philodendron is Evansii, the second is bipinatifidium; #99 palm is Parajubaea torralyi; Dioon in first cycad photo is meijae, and others are actually ferns I think (Blechnum gibbums); first 'cactus' is indeed a Euphorbia ammak, I think; and second 'cactus' is Alluaudia procera; #11 is a bottle tree or Brachychiton rupestris; the palms you called European Fan palms (can't recall number, if any) are Nannorhops (not European, but Iranian); #57 is Dioon merolae; photo #50 is a Caryota, but not sure what species... something a bit unusual as it does not appear to be a gigas or a urens; never heard of the name Macraw palm... those are Rhopalostylis (Nikau palms I have heard them called) from New Zealand; Hawaiian native succulents are Brighamia insignis; ficus close up #30 is Ficus lyriata; #35 and 33 etc. are Brachychiton discolor; #23 I think is Trithrinax campestris; #14 is Chamaedorea tepejilote; all the Staghorns in all your photos are Platycerim bifurcatum, though they do have nice examples of superbum at that zoo (just no photos of them above); Palm in last palm photo is a Pritchardia, but no clue what species.