Your Guide to the 2026 Philadelphia Flower Show
How to get discounts? Where is everyone getting those flower crowns? What are the must-see exhibits? Whether you’re going to pick up some green tips, spend the day with family, or just take in the colorful artistry, here’s what you’ll want to know for your visit to the Flower Show.
The 2026 Philadelphia Flower Show opens on February 28th. / Show photography by Laura Swartz
The Philadelphia Flower Show is back at the Convention Center — a welcome reminder that spring is not too far off. Till then, indoor flowers! And this year’s Flower Show provides plenty of visuals and spectacle for those there for the ‘gram, while still devoting a healthy amount of its space and mission to gardening for the originalists among us.
The theme this year is “Rooted: Origins of American Gardening,” which, as the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society explains, “honors the people, places, and traditions that have shaped gardening in the United States, inviting visitors to explore how personal stories, culture, and creativity are deeply connected through plants.”
So … what does that actually mean?
I’ve been going to the Flower Show every year since I was little, and I remember the themes used to be simpler: Paris. Hawaii. The Movies. Sometime around the pandemic, the themes became more nebulous: Water. Wellness. Joy.
While this shift has made for less cohesive Flower Shows, it also shows an evolution to give the exhibitors more artistic freedom and room for contradiction. And it shows a recognition and desire to reach out to a larger, more diverse audience. In senior reporter Victor Fiorillo’s “Flower Show, By the Numbers,” he noted that 83 percent of attendees identify as women, and 48 percent of attendees are baby boomers. The changes I’ve seen over the past decade — from special event choices to hands-on experiences to theming — seem to reach beyond that stereotypical majority. By that I mean: Less afternoon tea (there isn’t one this year), more DJ dance party (there certainly is one this year!). It’s a fine line to walk, because you do still have the traditionalist contingent to keep happy. You need the spectacle alongside the thoughtful. You have to please the hardcore gardeners selecting seeds alongside the influencers posing in flower crowns.
PHS says they selected this year’s theme to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary — itself, a milestone fraught with contradictions — and how designers chose to interpret that historic arc had vastly different outcomes.
As in the past, the main hall includes the entrance garden, leading to the promenade of large-scale artistic installations. This year’s garden, called “The Forest Floor,” weaves in different cultures — including Japanese Zen garden and Scottish forest — to show the many influences of American gardening. It’s giant and arching and has water features — in other words, it’s what you’d expect the entrance garden to be. We’re gonna ease into this history class.
That’s not a huge surprise: The largest-scale displays, while aesthetically and architecturally daring, play it the safest in terms of messaging. These are the installations that make the B-roll. Their images make it into ads to lure you to the show. You pose amongst them on social media. I know I’m sounding cynical here, but I’m actually enchanted. Of course my theater-kid daughter will love the Shakespeare-themed stage tableau (though its link to American history eludes me). Of course I got a flower crown and took a pic near an indoor waterfall. What would the Flower Show be without all that?
It’s often the (slightly) smaller-scale displays that take more risks and really run with the theme.
For instance: Did you know 19 consecutive U.S. First Ladies have had orchids named in their honor? Chadwick and Son Orchids does, and explores that connection beginning with Edith Wilson, and including some items owned by First Ladies in the display. Okay, now we’re learning some American history!
The W.B. Saul High School of Agricultural Sciences took America further back than 250 years, focusing on the Lenni Lenape people in Pennsylvania. They recreated a Lenape homestead, displaying their use of native plant species and environmental stewardship along the way.
Meanwhile, Tissarose’s powerful Ikechi “honor[s] the historic role of African Americans in American agriculture and the cultivation of the land,” depicting Black hands cradling beautiful florals, with cotton incorporated into the base arrangement.
Others interpreted the theme by honoring historic figures or art periods, like this Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired display reminiscent of Fallingwater.
Suffice it to say, there’s something for everyone at this year’s Flower Show. So, whether you’re going to pick up some green tips, spend the day with family, or just take in the colorful artistry, here’s what you’ll want to know for your visit.
The Basics
Now in its 197th year, the Flower Show showcases designers, gardens and floral displays along with food and merchandise vendors. Expect dozens of gorgeous larger-than-life floral installations plus some hands-on activities for kids and adults alike.
The center of the main hall is the Horticourt — that’s where you’ll find more gardening-focused displays, demonstrations (including Potting Parties), and competitive categories ranging from botanical jewelry to store windows to tiny scenes made of flowers.
The show spills over into the concourse — an area they call Bloom City — with more vendors, craft activities, live butterflies, and a kids’ play area — a welcome carryover from the pandemic-era FDR Park version.
Let me make it easier for you: Here’s a map to keep handy so you don’t miss anything you want to see.
The show runs from February 28th through March 8th. Hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, except for the final day which closes at 6 p.m. PHS members can get in an hour early each day to beat the crowds.
Things to Do
Head to the Marketplace (downstairs this year) to shop at 100-plus vendors. In addition to all the various gardening items you’d expect, you’ll find everything from jewelry to kids’ clothes to home goods and personal-care products.
A couple of stand-outs? Best 0f Philly-winning charm bar Yay Diff is there with a display by Fistful of Flowers — and lots of new flower-themed charms, of course.
And I could not resist buying a Gritty hair clip from Dainty Studios, who’s got plenty of Philly sports-themed apparel on hand.
You’ll find even more shopping in the Bloom City area, which has a Makers Market.
Don’t forget to snap a pick with Rosebud, the mobile flower bar from Best of Philly winner The Flower Mama, who has both pre-made and build-your-own bouquets.
If you’re not content to marvel at flowers and shop for various flower-adjacent (and completely unrelated) items, there are some special activities to look for. Every day, you can visit Artisan Row to make crafts alongside horticultural artisans — things like flower crowns, succulent terrariums, candles, and even your own tea blend.
Each craft is an add-on, with prices ranging from $22 to $37. (If you don’t have the time or desire to make your own flower crown, head to the Bloom Bar inside the main hall to buy one for $35.)
If you’re coming with kids, don’t miss out on the free Cocoon play area, where you’ll find open play and crafts. The space will host hourly programming every day. Also available here as an add-on every day of the show: Butterflies Live! Armed only with a Q-tip coated in sugar-water, enter a pollinator garden full of exotic butterflies and snap the perfect selfie with some fluttery friends. This exhibit requires an additional ticket ($5 for kids, $8 for adults), available online.
Inspired to grow your own garden? Attend a daily Potting Party ($20) in the show to learn container gardening (so even if you don’t have a yard, you can exercise your green thumb), then take home your creation. Or attend a talk at the Know to Grow speaker series that runs every day during the show.
Special Events
Flowers After Hours at the Philadelphia Flower Show / Photograph by Morgan Horell
The first weekend of the show pulls out all the stops for kids of all ages. On Sunday, March 1st, the show hosts Family Frolic, a special day for families. In addition to the rest of the show, there will be hands-on activities, giveaways, and programming from local museums and nonprofits. All activities are included with tickets.
If you’re looking to experience your flowers with a more adult-oriented crew, grab a ticket for Flowers After Hours, the show’s annual after-hours 21-and-up event that features an all-woman DJ lineup, as well as beverage tastings and show entry. This year’s theme is “The Folklore of the Forest,” which they describe as “a night of myth, magic, and flowers.” Oh, and also Gritty will be there. Fantasy-inspired attire (think fairy cosplay!) is encouraged. That party will be held on March 7th from 8:30 to 11:30 p.m., and tickets are $75.
Returning this year is the wellness-focused Blossom & Breathe event on March 4th. The evening includes yoga and wellness vendors in a botanical bazaar. The event is included with show tickets, and yoga is an extra $10.
And I am very excited to report that, after taking last year off, Fido Friday is returning on March 6th. That night, your pup is invited to join you in your Flower Show adventure, on leash, of course. Floral attire is encouraged; an up-to-date dog license and proof of rabies vaccine is required.
Flower Show Fun Around Town
A Flower Show-inspired cocktail at Southwark / Photograph by Ambra
And if all that’s not enough for you, the flower-themed splendor has inspired some specials around Philly.
If you want to make a whole day (and night) of it, head to the Loews Philadelphia Hotel. Its Flower Show package includes two tickets to the show, a $30 food-and-drink credit per day, and a room upgrade. Not to be outdone, the Rittenhouse Hotel‘s Rittenhouse in Bloom package includes tickets to the show’s morning tour, in-room florals, and a LAFCO candle to take home from the hotel’s spa.
But wait, there’s more! For the first year, PHS is partnering with nearby restaurants to offer flower-themed food and drink specials. Drink highlights include the “Thank You, Little Roots” clarified milk punch at Southwark, a “Botanical 75” at Leo, and the “Touch Grass” featuring nasturtium-infused Hendrick’s at Wilder. And the pizza topped with dandelion greens and edible flowers at Prunella is (almost) too pretty to eat.
El Merkury has a special hibiscus churro sundae for Flower Show. / Photograph courtesy of El Merkury
Cocktails not doing it for you? How about a hibiscus churro sundae? El Merkury has it at both locations (Rittenhouse and Reading Terminal Market). It’s drizzled with housemade hibiscus syrup, and topped with caramelized hibiscus flowers — and it’s only available for the duration of the Flower Show, so go get one. (And wash it down with their hibiscus latte.)
And on March 6th, Restaurant Aleksandar is hosting a Sip, Snip & Spritz soirée, where guests can craft their own floral arrangements while sipping on event-only Peroni spritzes. Tickets are $40.
Plan Your Trip
The Philadelphia Flower Show takes place at the Pennsylvania Convention Center at 12th and Arch streets. It runs from February 28th through March 8th.
Tickets
Tickets are available online. They’ll run you $54 for adults ($43 on weekdays), $30 for students ages 18 to 24 (with valid ID), $25 for kids ages five through 17, and free for children four and under.
Looking to save some money? This year, they’re offering discounted Twilight Tickets, which get you admission after 4 p.m. for $33 on weekdays and $44 on weekends. And, honestly, it’s a good deal because it can get really crowded during the day, especially on weekends. Add-ons like crafts and the live butterfly encounter are extra. You can also buy discount tickets from select SEPTA stations listed here.
Getting There
A benefit of the Flower Show moving from FDR Park back to the Convention Center: It couldn’t be easier to get there. It’s a quick walk from City Hall (if you’re coming on the Broad Street Line) and 13th Street Station (on the Market-Frankford Line), and it sits directly on top of Jefferson Station on the Regional Rail, those of you coming from the burbs.
