AboutOrchids

Scientists studying the large and diverse orchid family continue to find bizarre pollination tricks. An endangered orchid species from southern China is the first orchid known to use both flowers and leaves as part of its deception. This rare lady slipper looks and smells like it has a fungal infection. Cypripedium fargesii lives as high […]

Orchids are top picks for Mother’s Day gifts. Whether you’re buying an orchid for mom to keep short-term or long-term, there’s no lack of choices. Those sold in supermarkets and department stores are hybrids, bred to be tough. Phals are the most common variety. Their blooms can last for months with good basic orchid care. […]

Good watering practices are essential for healthy orchids. Unfortunately, there’s no single formula for how often to water. Instead, growers must account for many interrelated factors. Knowing what kind of orchid you have provides a basic schedule. Then, consider growing conditions which demand additional water: When orchids are actively growing, emerging leaves, roots, and flowers […]

The UK is anticipating a wild orchid summer. With 50 fascinating British species, The Independent has blooming schedules and helpful info for finding orchids in the wild. The article has good photos, including shots of some European relations to the Epipactis and Orchis that I grow. The Wildlife Trusts, a conservation group, has more info […]

You didn’t think I could fit all our great photos from the Conservatory of Flowers into one post, did you? Even with another post, it just scratches the surface. There’s so much to inspire and admire; it’s a spoil of photographic riches. Botanical beauty takes many forms, especially in the orchid world. I don’t know […]

The Center for Conservation of Amazonian Flora began 3 decades ago with one man’s dream and a little patch of land. In 1980, an Ecuadoran accountant named Omar Tello bought 15 acres (6 hectares) of pasture, and began to restore it to tropical rainforest. He had no formal schooling in horticulture or biology, but that […]

From the outside, San Francisco’s Conservatory of Flowers is a fascinating building. Completed in 1878, it’s the oldest building in Golden Gate Park, and it’s on the National Register of Historic Places. It was one of the first municipal conservatories in the USA, and has a central dome that’s almost 60 ft. (18m) high. However, […]

A small Australian lab is offering new hope for the Brilliant Sun Orchid. This endangered species is one of 15 rare Aussie natives that the lab is trying to grow from seed to bolster wild populations. Thelymitra mackibbinii, a.k.a. the Brilliant Sun Orchid, has suffered from habitat destruction, competition from alien plants, and damage from […]

It’s no surprise to find major orchid shows in Sydney, Houston, Montreal, and Dresden. But there are orchid lovers, too, in Slovenia, Trinidad & Tobago, and Haiti. No matter where on the globe, orchid shows are a great way to enjoy amazing flowers, meet locals growers and experts, and feed your orchid addiction. April 1 […]