Orchids are not just denizens of the tropics; they live almost everywhere in the world. Even the high elevations of Colorado’s Four Corners region host many native species. Two of them are shown here: the Fairy Slipper, or Calypso bulbosa, and the Bog Orchid, or Platanthera. My mother-in-law took these photos in early July while […]
Sadly, I lost this beautiful Dendrobium victoriae-reginae, or Queen Victoria’s Dendrobium, in a heat wave. I blogged about this plant a few years ago. Living outdoors, it’s been a tough orchid and a reliable bloomer, surviving numerous travails to flower again. But during a heat wave that went up to 95°F (35°C) over several days, […]
Celebrate today’s summer solstice with this wonderful Irish Marsh Orchid, blooming last week in County Kerry. This species is native only to the Emerald Isle. In the Irish language, it’s called Magairlin gaelach. The intense colors and spotted patterns on the flower lip rival the showiness of many better-known tropical cousins. These European terrestrial species can […]
Life is great on the Northern California coast, but it can be tough for plants. Strong winds and chilly fog can be big challenges for our garden. Fortunately, the vast and diverse orchid family provides lots of choices. Here are three tenacious orchids that are happily living just 1/3 mile (0.5 km) from the ocean. […]
After a rainy winter, our spring garden has burst into bloom, with orchids and more. The first two photos are not orchids: a very tough red rose and a brilliant yellow and white Tidy Tips. We didn’t know the rose was in our backyard for a few years, since it was completely encased by a […]
Why is a weird, parasitic orchid from Japan growing near Philadelphia? The Asian species, Cyrtosia septentrionalis, has popped up on the grounds of Longwood Gardens, and nobody really knows why. This strange orchid is a parasite on a soil fungus, and is considered impossible to cultivate. It could be that some seeds hitchhiked with other […]
Late autumn gives rise to a lot of outdoor orchid blooms at our home in Pacifica. Some of the flowers may be a little battered by the elements, but they can still survive for many weeks. In the past couple months, these plants have endured heavy rains, strong winds, and two weeks of bad, smoky […]
In a chilly, windy July rain, near a trail with a long name, in between glaciers with longer names, orchids bloom in southern Iceland. Orchids near the Arctic Circle? In fact, orchids live just about everywhere on earth, including Iceland, which is home to seven native species. Two of them are shown here. The Heath […]
When it comes to spring blooms in our garden, the Masdevallias really stand out. There are still some Cymbidiums flowering, and the Epidendrums never stop, but these brilliant colors steal the show. The orange flowers belong to a hybrid, Masdevallia ignea x falcata. Some of the blooms are battered by the elements, but they last for […]
What do rare orchids and particle physics have in common? The folks at Fermilab are in the business of subatomic discoveries, but they’re also part of a project to restore native prairie. On their campus outside of Chicago, they’ve been bringing back native plants like the Eastern Prairie Fringed Orchid. This species is endangered throughout […]
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