THE VISUALIZATION Blooming Orchidaceae is an interactive project that lets you explore over 400 orchids and how they differ in color, scent, bloom structure, pollinators, and seasonality. Orchids are grouped by genus to show shared traits, and simple filters help narrow the view by month, pollinator, or fragrance. As you explore, the visualization explains what you’re seeing with highlights, summaries, and detailed views of individual orchids.
This project is best experienced by exploring the live site.
(1) Dominant colorsBloom colors are extracted from orchid images using Vibrant.js and used to explore common visual patterns.(2) Bloom CharacteristicsBox plots show the distribution of flower count and inflorescence length, with normalized units for comparison.(3) Fragrance TypeA radial bar chart visualizes fragrance categories, color-coded by scent family. Hover reveals descriptive keywords (e.g., vanilla, honey).(4) Total CountDisplays the total number of orchids matching the current selection.(5) Pollinator GroupsFilter orchids by pollinator type; non-matching specimens are dimmed to preserve context.(6) Bloom MonthFilter orchids by bloom month along a yearly timeline, highlighting seasonal patterns.
(7) Filter SummaryA dynamic callout translates active filters into a readable statement with a preview of matching orchids. (8) Orchid DetailsClicking an orchid opens a detailed view with species, bloom traits, and ecological data.
(9) Source LinkEach record links to its Smithsonian Open Access page for verification and further exploration.