Because of his fascination with nature, artist Martin Johnson Heade studied and painted hummingbirds and orchids throughout his entire career. This vertically oriented painting is an exceptional example of his interest with the subject.

Heade painted a lush tropical landscape that focuses on two key components: two Woodstar Hummingbirds and a blossoming orchid, or Lealia pupurata. On the upper right side of the painting, a thin branch reaches down toward the middle of the canvas. Sitting on the branch are two emerald-green hummingbirds painted to scale. The bird on the lower-left side faces the right of the painting with its wings and tail spread open and pointed up, creating a "v" or checkmark shape. It has bright magenta feathers displayed under its beak and down to its chest, which then fade into a small white patch of feathers. The second hummingbird is perched higher on the branch with its body in profile to the viewer, as it looks down toward the other bird.

Directly beneath the open-winged bird is a five-petal white orchid also painted to scale. Each petal is uniquely shaped. Some petals are thinner than others, but all have ruffled edges. In the center of the flower is a white pistil; the stalky female reproductive piece that sticks out with a swollen base; it has a dark pink opening with yellow in the middle that disappears down the inside of the pistil. The flower is attached to a lime green stem with two other buds on it to the right of the white flower. The top bud is completely closed and only partially shown. The lower bud is starting to open with stripes of white popping in between the outer green casing. Below the central orchid, additional green and brown long, narrow buds appear but have not yet started to bloom.

The bottom half of the background is filled with dark-and-light green foliage, creating a tropical vista that appears very dense and lush. The top half shows hazy, brown mountains in the distance and a very cloudy white and blue sky, almost like a storm is rolling in. A single, green palm tree on the left side cuts into the blue sky.