Home to Phalaenopsis Doris and a Legacy of Conservation

Situated less than a mile from the Orientation Center, the Orchid Range is home to nearly 2,000 orchids, encompassing approximately 1,300 varieties. The collection includes both tropical and subtropical species, reflecting the diversity and beauty of orchids from around the world.  Weather permitting, the Orchid Range is open to the public during our seasonal operating hours.

Doris Duke loved horticulture and orchids were among her favorites.  In 1940 she originated Phalaenopsis Doris, an orchid hybrid registered at Duke Farms.  Designed to have larger blooms and be easier to care for, it was a major innovation for the commercial cultivation of orchids.  Phalaenopsis Doris is the ancestor of the most common orchid varietals available today. 

Doris Duke loved plants and nature so much that she dedicated the entirety of Duke Farms to the preservation of flora and fauna.  We maintain the Orchid Range in her honor while the history of horticulture shows up in new ways from our native plant cultivation to our restoration efforts to a research partnership with the State on endangered plant species. 

The Orchid Range teaches us a lot about what goes into creating a thriving ecosystem.  Orchids have a reputation for being finicky but what they really show you is what happens when a plant is removed from its ecosystem.  It’s now up to humans to replace all the things the ecosystem would have provided – nutrients, weather, fungi, pollinators – which are all invisible in nature.  It’s a learning moment to understand how the entire ecosystem is functioning.  

Constructed between 1899 and 1901, the Orchid Range was the first ornamental building at Duke Farms. It was designed by the Boston architectural firm Kendall Taylor & Stevens. ​

In 2012, the Orchid Range underwent significant renovations to enhance energy efficiency and environmental sustainability, achieving LEED Platinum certification.