AboutOrchids

Vanda orchids are a great remedy for a chilly winter. These happy purple blossoms are shining through our gray and rainy days. They’re the epitome of tropical, and the blooms last for weeks. Each flower is over 4 inches (10 cm) wide and tall. Last year, I blogged about how to grow a Vanda in […]

Orchid lovers in the San Francisco Bay Area can take advantage of two local online sales. In addition, Hengduan Biotech in China is having an online sale that will ship most anywhere in the world. Ongoing until January 29 The University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley is renovating its Tropical House, and selling divisions […]

For over 30 years, I’ve been living and gardening in California, and I’ve certainly become spoiled by the fact that we can garden year-round here. But I did grow up in New Jersey, and went to college in upstate New York, so I also remember ice cold winters when nothing was growing. Outdoors was mostly […]

Malaysian researchers are exposing the illegal plant trade on social media. Southeast Asian countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Myanmar have thousands of native orchid species, many sought out by collectors. There has always been an orchid trade, but online sellers have a wider reach than ever before. Sites like Facebook and eBay are […]

The Streaked Rock Orchid is a wonderful Australian native. Its strange flowers resemble elaborate birds in flight. Its little, pencil-like leaves turn purplish-red in the sun, making it look like a pointy, colorful hedgehog. In the wild, Dendrobium striolatum lives attached to rocky cliffs in the states of New South Wales, Victoria, and Tasmania. Our […]

Happy new year! Kudos to New Zealand for smartly managing the pandemic. That’s why I’m listing their show. Please check directly with the phone number on their webpage for the latest updates. I’ve found links for a few other events this month, but they don’t have clear COVID19 precautions, and they’re in areas that don’t […]