AboutOrchids

If you saw a Thunia without flowers, you be forgiven for thinking it was a cornstalk. When it’s in bloom, however, there’s no doubt that it’s an orchid. Thunia flowers look like Cattleyas that haven’t opened completely. The 5 inch (13 cm) wide blooms hang in clusters, pulling down the tops of their 4 ft. [...]

With spectacular white blooms and a sweet scent, this Angraecum offers an elegant display. This species is native to the Comoros Islands and Madagascar. It’s easy to see its similarities with orchid relatives like Darwin’s Orchid, Jumellea, and Oeoniella. All have star-shaped white flowers, and produce rich fragrances at night to attract moth pollinators.

Those [...]

A blooming Ghost Orchid is a very rare sight, so imagine my surprise when I spotted this beautiful specimen in an ice rink. Made famous with the bestselling book The Orchid Thief and the movie Adaptation, Ghost Orchids are rare in the wild, tough to grow, and uncommon in cultivation. It’s the holy grail for [...]

With a bewildering variety of orchid choices for Mother’s Day, it helps to know some basics. Commonly sold orchids have varying charms and care needs, and you wanna pick what mama’s gonna like. For example, if mom likes bright colors, you might try Phals, or Moth Orchids. They can delight with weeks or even months [...]

With such spectacular flowers, orchid leaves usually don’t capture too much attention. However, Jewel Orchids have foliage that steals the show. Many Jewel Orchid varieties are best suited for experienced orchid growers, but Ludisias are easy to grow. The American Orchid Society calls Ludisia “A Foolproof Orchid.” They sport dark green leaves with bright pink [...]

Native to the Comoros Islands near Madagascar, this species of Jumellea is an easy grower with delightful flowers. It holds crystal white blooms on long stems, giving the appearance that they’re floating around the plant.

Nectar spurs are long, narrow tubes with a drop of nectar at the bottom, and they’re good clues that this orchid [...]

Even if you don’t see the flowers of this Maxillaria species, you’re definitely going to smell them. Maxillaria tenuifolia earns the nickname “Coconut Orchid” from its delicious scent. It’s native to tropical rainforests from Mexico south to Costa Rica.

Orchid beginners often grow easier hybrids instead of fussier species, but this species is easy to maintain [...]

I’ll start today’s celebration of spring with a few nice photos. The first is a sweetly scented Iwanagara, a Cattleya hybrid. Next is a Paph species native to China, and then a Jasmine that’s bursting into bloom in our back garden.

Here in San Francisco, we set a record high of 80F (27C) yesterday, and [...]

No matter how many vowels in its name, Oeoniella has plenty of charms. It’s an orchid species that’s easy to grow, with dainty flowers that produce a strong, sweet scent.

Pronounced “oh-ee-NEE-ella,” rhymes with “go see me, Ella,” its name comes from Greek words describing the flower’s resemblance to an eagle’s wings. Maybe the pointed tip [...]

There were so many remarkable orchids at this year’s Pacific Orchid Expo that it would be impossible to fit them into just one post. For example, these first two photos show stunning Phal hybrids. The third photo shows a smaller Phal species that’s native to the Philippines. It may be less showy, but it’s important [...]