AboutOrchids

Some readers may wonder why I’m posting a reminder about heatwaves at the start of autumn, but SF Bay Area locals understand. For us, the warmest months of the year are September and October. True to form, our cool, foggy weather gave way to warmer temps on schedule this year, and we’ve had a few […]

Delight in these orchids to mark today’s equinox. They’re all from this past July’s Orchids in the Park. With an incredible range of colors, shapes, and scents, they seem as distantly related as an oak tree is from an oyster.  But superficial appearances are so often misleading. These orchids share a basic design which runs […]

Chinese scientists have studied an orchid’s genetics to learn the secrets of its success. They’ve sequenced the genes of the species Apostasia shenzhenica, which is an early offshoot of the orchid family tree. Their study shows that important orchid traits, like massed pollen, tiny seeds, and the ability to live as air plants, emerged at […]

Every three years, orchid lovers from around the world gather for an event nicknamed the Orchid Olympics. Officially known as the 22nd World Orchid Conference, this year’s event is happening in Guayaquil, Ecuador from November 8th – 12th. The conference includes science, horticulture, and conservation sessions, as well as an enormous orchid show with vendors […]

These photos highlight just a few of the orchids on display at San Francisco’s Conservatory of Flowers. Their extraordinary collection spans the vast range of the orchid world. Big and small, hybrid and species, common and rare — they’re all well represented. One of the benefits of air plants like these is that they live […]

Enjoy this adorable animation explaining how deceptive orchids can be. Some orchids trick pollinators, steal from fungi, or take advantage of trees to grow above the forest floor. And they’ve convinced lots of humans to do their bidding, too. The video below comes courtesy of the University of Western Australia and Curtin University.

Each month, I try my best to track down all the orchid shows I can in the English-speaking world, and also events in other languages I can handle. As many as I’ve found for this busy September, there are certainly more shows than this. So, if somehow you can’t find an event near you in […]