Greenhouse in bloom

Plants in the George L. and Eugenia R. Moore Memorial Greenhouse are blooming. The Queen's Orchid, a plant with magenta flowers, is flaunting its colors for the first time in recent memory.

"I have been here 10 years, and this is the first time I've seen them bloom," said Laboratory Technician Suzanne Hostetter.

Everyone is invited to view the plants that are on display on the third floor of NSC. The building is open Monday through Friday, from about 7 a.m. to about 8:30 p.m. The display currently includes two of the Queen's Orchid plants.

Why the plants have not recently bloomed is a matter of environment.

"Our best guess is that it's probably a combination of factors," said Dr. Lisa Carlson, associate professor of biology. "It's probably the light environment of the Pacific Northwest. Having added lighting to compensate for natural light allows plants to have a more natural life cycle."

The greenhouse's primary purpose is that of a student learning resource.