NEW YORK, May 17, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The power of plants to cure and rejuvenate, one of the most important ways in which mankind depends on the plant kingdom, is the subject of The New York Botanical Garden's multifaceted exhibition Wild Medicine: Healing Plants Around the World, Featuring The Italian Renaissance Garden, on view from May 18 through September 8, 2013.
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The featured exhibition's many attractions include a re-creation of the Western world's oldest botanical garden, founded during the Italian Renaissance for the study of medicinal plants; interactive stations with samples of products made from cacao, tea and tropical juices; a presentation of rare illustrated botanical books and manuscripts; a botanically inspired sculpture display; and a wide assortment of entertaining programming.
For Wild Medicine, the landmark Enid A. Haupt Conservatory offers two contrasting exhibitions, which will feature displays of more than 500 species or cultivars of medicinal plants during its four-month run: a lush display of medicinal plants in their natural setting and a beautiful presentation of exotic plants and flowers evoking a Renaissance botanical garden.
Since ancient times, all cultures have used plants as a source of medicine. Today an estimated 4.5 billion people worldwide use plants for some part of their health care.
"The New York Botanical Garden is proud to present what we feel will be an important and beautiful exhibition about the vital function that plants play in restoring and maintaining human health," said Gregory Long, Chief Executive Officer and The William C. Steere Sr. President of The New York Botanical Garden. "We hope visitors who come to the Garden to see Wild Medicine will not only be entranced by the sight of so many gorgeous and interesting plants but will also gain a new appreciation for how essential they are to our well-being."
On weekends in Ross Hall, Music and Dance of the Italian Renaissance features performers in period costumes playing historical instruments to reproduce the sights and sounds of this era's music and dance.
Cocktail Evenings and Summer Concerts, the ticketed evening programs during Wild Medicine, will include a nighttime viewing of Wild Medicine, a complimentary botanical cocktail, picnic dinners, and other refreshments available for purchase, as well as a live outdoor concert.
For more information, visit nybg.org
Contact: Stevenson Swanson, 718.817.8512, sswanson@nybg.org
SOURCE The New York Botanical Garden
