AboutOrchids

You’d have to be living under Ayers Rock to miss all the orchid shows in Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa this month. In the Northern Hemisphere, the schedule picks up after its summer pause. You can find shows and sales from the Americas and Europe mixed in here, in between those from Queensland and […]

The “Golden Gate Gardener” on SFGate devotes the top half of a column to an orchid weed. No, it’s not the tropical Bamboo Orchid, but instead an emigrant from Europe, Epipactis helleborine. It’s related to the Stream Orchid, the native Epipactis that I grow. Epipactis helleborine has a home range across a broad swath of […]

Orchids starter kits have been around for years, often sold alongside starter kits for other tropical plants. They’re a clever sales solution for tropical areas like Hawaii, where strict rules apply for plant export. The plants are packaged by certified nurseries, and they can be quickly checked by airport agricultural inspectors. Sometimes they’re baby orchids […]

No, it’s not winter — it’s just another cool, foggy San Francisco summer. Fortunately, it’s the perfect climate for this Bolivian beauty. Dozens of delightful pink and purple Masdevallia flowers opened more than a month ago in our back garden, and they’re still going strong. This species is native to elevations of 8000 – 9000 […]

Are you an allergy sufferer who fears that your nose has confined you to a life of plastic flowers? Orchids may be the answer. Allergic reactions to orchids are rare because they don’t have airborne pollen. Instead, their pollen clumps in waxy little balls called pollinia. Since it doesn’t float freely in the air, it’s […]

The American Orchid Society (AOS) is helping the Nature Conservancy to restore an important piece of land. Myrtle Head is a 72 acre (29 hectare) remnant of native pine savanna near the North Carolina coast. It’s part of the Green Swamp, which is considered one of the top biodiversity hotspots in North America. The Venus […]

An orchid name tag may include a cultivar name, which recognizes an interesting or exceptional plant line. The word “cultivar” is a contraction of “cultivated variety.” Properly written, it’s capitalized within single quotes. These 3 beauties provide our examples: Cymbidium Lotza Spotz ‘Jacob’ Epicattleya Chic ‘Zebra’ Rhynchostylis gigantea ‘Spots’ Cymbidium Lotza Spotz ‘Jacob’ is a […]

From a palace in Scotland to malls in Australia, orchid shows beautify many locales. Enjoy these opportunities to see incredible flowers, talk to local experts, and buy plants for your own collection. August 3 – 7 Orquideas, Pajaros y Flores, Jardin Botanico, Medellin, Colombia August 5 – 6 Houston Orchid Society Workshop, Crooker Center, St. […]