I visited the Garfield Park Conservatory in Chicago earlier this week. This was my first visit and I found the place to be most impressive. I've never seen such large greenhouses!

This massive plant (lower left) in the Desert Room of the Garfield Park Conservatory is called a Century Plant. The Century Plant is said to bloom once a century. In fact, it blooms after a decade or two of growth. When it is ready, it sends up a single 30 foot stalk which produces an impressive bloom. So much energy is spent growing this flower that the plant dies shortly after.

Desert HouseA Century Plant (Agave americana) in the Desert House at the Garfield Park Conservatory at 300 N Central Park Avenue in Chicago, Illinois on December 9, 2013. The Century Plant is said to bloom once a century. In fact, it blooms after a decade or two of growth. When it is ready, it sends up a single 30 foot stalk which produces an impressive bloom. So much energy is spent growing this flower that the plant dies shortly afterward. This photograph consists of five exposures blended together to create a high dynamic range (HDR) image.

I'll have to plan a return visit when the Century Plant blooms--although that might not be for another decade or two!

Click here to view the other 13 photographs from my visit.