Oberonia
Mini orchids have all the charms of larger plants, but you can fit a lot more of them in the same space. With small leaves and tiny flowers, this Oberonia certainly qualifies as a mini. Each flower is only the size of a grain of sand at 0.06 inches (1.5 mm.) I tried to count the flowers to see exactly how many there are, but I gave up before it gave me a headache. Let’s just say that there are dozens that encircle a thin, 4 inch (10 cm) flower spike.
Besides the fact that mini orchids are easy to fit in a city apartment, the flowers are fascinating in their own right. The densely packed blooms give the effect of a fuzzy orange cat’s tail. The individual flowers are tough to see without a magnifying glass. They sure put Dave’s photography skills to the test. Through the magic of his macro lens, you can see how beautiful they are up close.
This species of Oberonia is native to one small province on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. It needs regular water and high humidity. With light shade and warm temperatures, these miniature works of art bloom on a microscopic scale.
Explore posts in the same categories: Mini Orchids, Photos, Warm Growers, Watering
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August 9th, 2009 at 1:59 am
the flowers look like little people flying in the air. they have 2 little arms and 2 little legs and a lot of hair. i cannot imagine that they are only the size of a grain of sand – thanks for the incredible photos. i don’t blame you for not wanting to count something that small.
August 11th, 2009 at 7:56 pm
[…] This species is native to the Philippines, where it’s a neighbor to this Oberonia on the island of Luzon. […]
August 25th, 2009 at 1:44 am
Thank Dave for the incredible photography. I’ve seen different species of Oberonia before (I don’t think I’ve seen the one you have) but the flowers are always so small that they’re just little dots. I never saw them in detail and never imagined that they’re fully formed and detailed up close.
September 1st, 2009 at 7:45 pm
Incredible photography! Those are small flowers.