AboutOrchids

The slowest month of the year for orchid shows still features events on three continents. Many orchid societies also have holiday sales and auctions this month, so check with your local group for more. December 1 – 4 Exposición Internacional de Orquídeas, Convento de Santo Domingo, Catedral de Cobán, Alta Verapaz, Guatemala December 3 Acadian […]

As the BBC reports, chikanda is a traditional food in parts of Zambia and Tanzania, made from the tubers of local orchids. These tubers look like little potatoes. They are cooked with peanuts and chilies into savory cakes resembling meatloaf, and called chikanda. Swedish botanist Sarina Veldman has been studying the DNA of tubers for […]

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that tens of thousands of wild orchids have bloomed around Canberra. After a very wet winter across the Australian Capital Territory, dozens of different orchid species are putting on a show. With common names like Donkey Orchids, Beard Orchids, and Helmet Orchids, they have a myriad of fascinating sizes and […]

Coelia bella is a great orchid species, both easy to grow and easy to pronounce. Its charming purple, white, and yellow flowers give off a light marzipan or almond oil fragrance. To say Coelia, ignore the “o” and say Celia like the woman’s name, SEE-Lee-Ah. The second part of its Latin name, bella, translates as […]

The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum is working to conserve rare native orchids. The Arboretum is building a seed bank for all of the state’s 48 native species, including the official state flower, the Showy Lady’s Slipper. The effort is part of a larger conservation project, headed by the Smithsonian Institution, to preserve seeds from all of […]

Orchids on the rocks? No, it’s not another post about ice cubes or climate change. Instead, it’s about orchids which actually grow on rocks. Attached by their roots, orchids may wedge into stony crevices or hang off sheer mountain cliffs. Many orchids which are air plants can affix to both trees and rocks. The first […]

From Santa Barbara to Paris to Tasmania, don’t miss these opportunities to see wondrous flowers, take photos, talk with orchid experts, and purchase plants. November 3 – 5 Mornington Peninsula Orchid Society Show, Gateway Shopping Centre, 230 Cranbourne Rd., Langwarrin, Victoria, Australia November 4 – 6 Massachusetts Orchid Society Show & Sale, Mahoney’s Garden Center, […]