If you didn’t know better, you might think that these flower buds look like the very hungry plant Audrey II, from the classic film and musical Little Shop of Horrors. Fortunately, this orchid doesn’t have teeth and doesn’t eat people, so there’s no danger. Once the buds open, these flowers lose their threatening facade, and […]
If you’re welcoming today’s summer solstice by enjoying some time outdoors, it’s always a good idea to keep your eyes open for whatever surprises nature can offer. Some can be so petite that they’re easy to overlook, but I find it’s often worth the effort to be observant. Case in point: these delightful Orchis flowers, […]
I’m a week late to celebrate the Mexican holiday of Cinco de Mayo, but this Mexican native shows no signs of finishing its fiesta of color. Laelia anceps is a Cattleya relative that’s easy to grow, and one of the toughest orchids around. It holds its large, star-shaped flowers high up on flower spikes that […]
This unusual orchid is a Pterostylis. If you don’t enjoy trying to pronounce Greek scientific names, you’ll be happy to know that Pterostylis are nicknamed “greenhoods” in their native Australia and New Zealand. The bug-eaten pair of flowers in the first set of photos shows the unusual flower shape, including a slightly twisted flower lip […]
If you’re looking for a great beginner’s orchid beyond the typical Phal, this Australian Dendrobium species is popular in cultivation and easy to grow. It doesn’t have big showy flowers, but Dendrobium kingianum more than compensates with prolific blooms and a honey-sweet scent. Flowers can last for 2 months. This Dendrobium can handle a wide […]
While the rest of the country has been frozen, California is having a winter heatwave. Yesterday San Francisco set a new record high for the date at 74F (23C,) and there may be another record high today. Since I’m fortunate to live someplace with a mild climate, and I’m able to grow orchids outdoors all […]
As we move through the last few days of autumn, in the Northern Hemisphere at least, don’t panic if your orchid drops some leaves or looks a little peaked. With less light and cooler days, many orchids are resting in their dormant periods. If your plant is otherwise healthy, and a few leaves drop, it’s […]
More people kill their orchids through overwatering than any other cause. Fall is particularly perilous time for overwatering, as plants start to go dormant, but people unwittingly continue the same watering regimen as they did in the growing season. With too much water, orchid roots will rot, and the leaves will follow. So this is […]
If you saw this unusual Stenoglottis orchid growing in its native home in South Africa, and it wasn’t in bloom, you would probably think it was an ugly weed. If you saw it in bloom, though, I’d bet you would be amazed at its masses of dainty purple polka-dotted flowers with fringed lips. Stenoglottis longifolia […]
Orchid care changes with the seasons. As fall approaches, it’s time to adjust water, fertilizer, light, and temperature. If warm growing orchids have been kept outside for the summer, it’s time to bring them indoors. Phals, Cattleyas, and Vandas should be checked for pests, and then brought inside before nighttime temperature become too cold. Orchids […]
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