If you’re wondering why I’m honoring the summer solstice with cool-growing Masdevallias, then you’ve probably never experienced San Francisco’s summer fog. While we often have sunny days and yes, even heat waves, the vast, chilly Northern Pacific is just a few miles away. Our natural air-conditioning makes these orchids some of our local icons. For those of you already sweltering in summer heat, don’t worry — there are lots of sunny-looking Vandas, too.

Also known as the False Ladyslipper, the Stream Orchid is not an air plant. It’s a terrestrial orchid that lives in moist soils along streams, on cliff faces, and in mountain bogs. The plant dies back during winter, and re-emerges from underground tubers the next spring.

Many terrestrial orchids are difficult to grow, requiring highly specialized conditions (yet another reason why you should NEVER remove wild orchids from their natural homes.) However, Epipactis gigantea is relatively easy to cultivate, and adapts to a wide range of conditions. I keep mine in regular potting soil, and keep the pot in a tray of water so it never dries out. It loves a good dose of compost fertilizer, which has helped my plant grow into a vigorous specimen. Certainly it seems right at home.

This species grows at high elevations  in the Andes of Colombia and Peru. Said to grace the rainforests around Machu Picchu, it thrives with cool temps, regular water, high humidity, and constant air movement. In the past, mine has sulked on hot summer days when San Francisco has lost its air-conditioning fog layer. Fortunately, Dave was able to capture this wonderful flush of blooms on camera before temperatures warmed.

Masdevallia coccinea has been used as a hybrid parent for decades, and its characteristics appear in many modern orchid hybrids. The final photos show flower close-ups and an unopened flower bud with pink and yellow showing through. It’s no surprise that it lends some magic to the Lost City of the Incas.

Orchid growers have created thousands of Cymbidium hybrids in various hues of pink, red, brown, yellow, green, and white. Hybridization allows orchid breeders to combine the best traits of different varieties, making these hardy plants even tougher. Some kinds can survive a light freeze, although they may lose their flowers to the cold. The two hybrids shown in these photos can hold their large sprays of blooms for months during our mild winter. Pests and winter rains may damage some flowers, but they still light up the garden on cool, gray days.

Besides regular water, Cymbidiums like heavy fertilizer, and these hybrids love our homemade compost. In order to bloom, they require bright light, and need cool nighttime temperatures in autumn. Here on the California coast, the evening fog cools them off to guarantee winter flowers. Don’t worry if you want to grow them but don’t match our climate — there are other warm growing Cymbidium species and hybrids that don’t need a cooling period.

Next, this fascinating Coelogyne provides another great example that not all orchid beauty comes from warm, tropical jungles. This species is native to the foothills of the Himalayas, in a region stretching through India, Nepal, China, and Burma. The flowers have a great fringed lip, and they can last for months.

Finally, some of Kim’s non-orchid blooms include a waxplant and a bromeliad. With such wonderful flowers, it’s always a pleasure to hang out in Kim’s garden.

These Epidendrums have tall, reed-like stems and stiff leaves that have survived strong winds, rains, heat waves, and even hailstorms. Their durability extends to their ability to grow in a variety of potting media, and they can thrive in regular soil. They’re a favorite lunch stop for hummingbirds and butterflies, too.

Not all varieties of Epidendrum can handle full sun or chilly temperatures, so if you want to find permanent bloomers for your own neck of the woods, it may take some research and experimentation. Since all 3 of these color varieties came to me as cuttings without name tags, I’m left to marvel at their tenacity, but cannot give them due credit. I believe the red variety is Epidendrum radicans, but no matter where they live in the Epidendrum family tree, they’ll always have a home in our garden.

The 3 inch (7.6 cm) flowers show off beautiful shades of yellow and purple, and the fascinating 3-D lip really gives the Brits some competition. Dave took photos at a variety of angles, so you can better appreciate the strange flower structure.

As proof of its fortitude, in the wild this species can handle freezes down to 25F (-4C.) However, if you have one in your collection, try to avoid letting the plant freeze. It should survive, but it may suffer some damage or not bloom as well. This plant lives outdoors all year here in San Francisco, and I try to keep it on the dry side during its winter dormancy.

When we started to sweat in the displays with warm growing plants, it was great to step into the Highland Tropics Gallery to cool off. The Conservatory has a large collection of cool growing orchids, native to tropical mountain rainforests. These extraordinary members of the Masdevallia family enjoy the cool temperatures. Some are full of color, while others gleam in translucent white.

I’ve saved the strangest flowers for last. Among the more unusual blooms are 2 small, cool growing Masdevallia relatives. The first photo shows a tiny Scaphosepalum flower, seemingly in flight. The second photo may look like a fuzzy caterpillar, but it’s actually a group of miniature Stelis flowers. Finally, a large, weird (non-orchid) flower is known as the Bat Flower, or Cat’s Whiskers. They’re all part of the Conservatory’s remarkable displays.

With just a few narrow leaves on a stem, it looks more like a grass than an orchid. The mini plants emerge from small tubers in the spring, and can be grown like tulips or daffodils. I planted these in rich, sandy potting soil. In the fall, they’ll start to lose their leaves, and then go completely dormant for winter. Japanese growers have developed several color varieties, ranging from shades of purple to pink to yellow.

In case you’re wondering about the similarity of the name Orchis to the word orchid, it’s not just a coincidence. Relatives of this Japanese orchid live around the Mediterranean, and they were some of the first orchids known to ancient Greeks and Romans. Over time, as Europeans discovered more kinds of orchids, the Orchis genus lent its name to the entire orchid family.

Despite the common misconception that all orchids want warm temperatures, Masdevallias are native to cool, high-altitude rainforests with constant rain or fog. They range from mountains in Mexico and Central America south into the Andes. In cultivation they need a cool, damp climate, although they must be protected from freezing. There are warmer growing varieties also, but no matter what climate they prefer, Masdevallias need daily watering and high humidity. This orange hybrid has been a reliable bloomer for years, and enjoys living outside all year long in the San Francisco fog.

This final set shows an extra small species from Ecuador. It’s one of the only members of the vast Masdevallia family to have multiple blooms on each flower spike. In its native home, it lives in a forest that receives very little rain, but constant fog and mist. No wonder it’s enjoying our weather!