AboutOrchids

Wouldn’t it be great to take an orchid vacation? The Orchid Conservation Alliance (OCA) regularly sponsors trips to exotic lands with experts who guide orchid tours. These trips feature orchids in their native habitats, and raise money for conservation projects. Tours are limited to 15 people maximum. Future trips include Yunnan, China in May, and Colombia’s Northern Andes in November. More are planned for Madagascar, Brazil, Peru, and Costa Rica.

The OCA is a fantastic non-profit organization worthy of support. Learn more about taking an orchid vacation. You can also help the OCA by becoming a member.

Fortunately, Coelogyne orchids are easier to grow than they are to pronounce. This glorious genus of orchids originates in Southeast Asia, in a large area stretching from India and China to Indonesia, New Guinea, the Philippines, and Fiji. Many varieties have tumbling cascades of fragrant blooms. Their brilliantly-colored flower lips often feature weird ridges and frills. These photos represent less than a dozen of over 200 Coelogyne species.

To pronounce Coelogyne, say “see-LODGE-in-ee.” Their wide range spans different habitats, and there are varieties for warm, intermediate, and cool conditions. Many which come from the Himalayas grow well as outdoor plants in the SF Bay Area, and other cool, foggy climates. The flower in the final photo below belongs to a Coelogyne mooreana plant which has reliably bloomed outdoors for me for over a decade. Its perfumed flowers last more than a month. (The other photos are from orchid shows and botanical gardens.)

Coelogynes need regular waterings during spring and summer. Give them bright light, including some morning sun. They enjoy regular fertilizer, high humidity, and good air movement. Warm growers do not have a dormant season, but water should be reduced for cool and intermediate growers over winter. These impressive orchids will inspire you to have Coelogyne rolling off your tongue.

South Africa’s Mail & Guardian details the problems of soaring vanilla prices in Madagascar. Vanilla is the orchid that we all love to eat, and the cost of vanilla beans has been rising for years. Droughts and cyclones have contributed to increases. But what might be a boon for the economy also brings a lot of danger. One farmer explains that “The higher the price of vanilla, the earlier in the year the robbers come to tear the pods off the vine.” Farmers are often robbed, and sometimes even killed for their crop.

As it’s grown more expensive, vanilla has become tied to other illicit activities as well. The beans are used for money laundering in the illegal rosewood trade, and vanilla farming contributes to deforestation. Speculators hoard beans to await higher prices. Read more about Madagascar’s problems in a separate article in The Guardian.

April is a busy month for orchids, with major events in London, Dublin, Singapore, Philly, Toronto, Capetown and many more. Of course, bigger isn’t always better. I’m guessing that the orchids & chocolate show in little La Capelle, France would be deliciously fantastic, too.

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Moth Orchids are one of the most popular houseplants in the world, and there’s a steady stream of new varieties. These photos highlight some of the latest hybrid trends. Many feature new patterns or color mixes. Others are bigger, rounder, and flatter. Miniatures are smaller than ever, and harlequins continue to flaunt their artistry. Some unusual types result from genetic mutations. Known as “pelorics,” their petals mutate to look like the flower lip, or vice versa. The very first photo and very last photo in this post are pelorics.

These pictures are from last month’s Pacific Orchid Expo and last summer’s Orchids in the Park, both in San Francisco. As new hybrids emerge, and fashions change, expect that there will always be more Moth Orchids.

Check out the video below to immerse yourself in tropical orchid splendor. Foxtail Orchids earn their name from their bushy clusters of flowers. They’re also known for their sweet scents. Having savored the strong perfume of a single plant in bloom, I can’t imagine how powerful the fragrance must be in the Vietnamese garden in this video. Foxtail Orchids are Vanda relatives which belong to the Rhynchostylis genus, and come in white, and many shades of pink and magenta.

Welcome today’s spring equinox with more photos from the recent Pacific Orchid Expo. Northern California has been greeted with a chilly rain to mark the day. Our rainy season was late this winter, but began in earnest a few weeks ago. It should be enough to keep our multi-year drought at bay. Of course, it’s best to always treat clean water as a precious resource, even in years when there’s plenty of precipitation. Enjoy the blooms.

What do rare orchids and particle physics have in common? The folks at Fermilab are in the business of subatomic discoveries, but they’re also part of a project to restore native prairie. On their campus outside of Chicago, they’ve been bringing back native plants like the Eastern Prairie Fringed Orchid. This species is endangered throughout its range in Canada and the USA. Fermilab ecologists have recreated its wet prairie habitat, removed invasive species, and started planting the rare orchids. With continued care, they hope to reestablish a healthy ecosystem on their grounds. It should be a great boost for the prospects of the Eastern Prairie Fringed Orchid.

The Smithsonian illustrates why orchid conservation is tricky. Orchid seeds require a symbiotic fungus to grow, so saving seeds isn’t enough. Experts need to understand each orchid species’ relation to its essential fungi. “First you have to find the fungus,” says Smithsonian botanist Melissa McCormick, “then you have to figure out what it is, and what it needs to survive, which is of course, what the orchid needs to survive.” In addition, scientists have to study growing conditions and pollinator relationships. Read more about the challenges and successes of orchid conservation, and enjoy great orchid photos, at Smithsonian.com.

There aren’t enough superlatives to do justice to the Pacific Orchid Expo. These photos, and those in the first post, are just a drop in the bucket of the plants that recently adorned the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park. Every year, the show features extravagant colors, rich perfumes, and fascinating orchid diversity. With award-winning flowers and elaborate displays, it’s a brilliant orchid spectacle. Enjoy the pictures.