Ghost Orchid
The typically elusive ghost orchid, made famous in the bestselling book The Orchid Thief and the movie Adaptation, is readily visible for those near Naples, Florida. For decades, some orchid lovers have braved mosquito and alligator-infested swamps, only to leave disappointed without even a glimpse of the rare and unusual beauty. Now, a trip to the Audubon Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary provides an easy way to see a great specimen blooming in the wild, all from the comfort of a public boardwalk. The sanctuary does recommend that you bring your binoculars, since the plant is high up in a tree. This bizarre orchid has stunning white flowers and no leaves (the chlorophyll is in the roots.) Although it is endangered in its natural habitat, ghost orchid plants which are legally grown from seed can be purchased from reputable vendors like this one.
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August 9th, 2009 at 10:05 pm
i suppose mosquitos and alligators do a really good job protecting orchids growing in the wild. just the thought of them will keep everyone away.
August 25th, 2009 at 1:44 am
Is it called ‘ghost’ because of the white flowers? Or maybe the lack of leaves made people think it has supernatural powers?
September 3rd, 2009 at 6:45 pm
Loved the book, and the movie was brilliant!
I hope that ghost orchid is well guarded. There are truly orchid thieves out there who do a lot of damage to orchid populations.
October 15th, 2009 at 3:25 pm
[…] By the way, the ghost orchid in Britain shares a common name with the ghost orchid I’ve written about in Florida, but they’re actually very different species. […]
December 22nd, 2009 at 2:09 pm
Great article
April 4th, 2010 at 3:18 pm
[…] making news on both sides of the pond, and this time, it’s Florida’s turn. The same Ghost Orchid that I blogged about last year is up to it again. It’s bloomed unexpectedly early in the season, but that should be no […]