To celebrate today’s solstice, I have more photos from last weekend’s Orchids in the Park, along with a few non-orchid shots from Golden Gate Park. Starting outdoors, end of summer delights included a fruit-laden pink passionflower and a working 1914 carousel at the Children’s Playground. The third photo shows part of the living roof at […]
A Burmese group is reviving their tradition of adorning ethnic clothing with orchid threads. In northern Myanmar (also known as Burma,) they weave Dendrobium fibers into fabrics. Locally called “waso,” the orchid is Dendrobium moschatum, a species with great flowers and a musky fragrance. It’s native to lower elevations all around the Himalayas. Fibers made […]
Fortunately, it’s easier to grow a Coelogyne than it is to figure out how to say it. Each of these pure white flowers has a bright orange lip, and delights with a sweet scent. Blooms can last a month or more. To pronounce it, say “see-LODGE-in-ee.” This species originates in the mountains of Vietnam, where […]
Over the years, I’ve looked at lots of pictures of Stanhopeas to try to figure them out. It’s easy to see that the blossoms are large, showy, and unusual. It’s harder to make sense of their incredible shapes. They could be fantastic birds, weird bugs, or strange humanoids. So if these photos leave you somewhat […]
Scientists studying the large and diverse orchid family continue to find bizarre pollination tricks. An endangered orchid species from southern China is the first orchid known to use both flowers and leaves as part of its deception. This rare lady slipper looks and smells like it has a fungal infection. Cypripedium fargesii lives as high […]
Orchids are top picks for Mother’s Day gifts. Whether you’re buying an orchid for mom to keep short-term or long-term, there’s no lack of choices. Those sold in supermarkets and department stores are hybrids, bred to be tough. Phals are the most common variety. Their blooms can last for months with good basic orchid care. […]
The orchid family is full of strange pollination mechanisms. Catasetums have sweet scents, but it’s their incredible trick for gluing pollen to bees which has intrigued scientists from Darwin until now. When a bee touches a hair trigger, the orchid ejects glue and pollen to land on a precise spot on the bee’s back. I’ve […]
You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar, but rotting meat works even better. A strange little South African orchid has figured this out, and attracts pollinating flies with a deathly odor. Satyrium pumilum grows as a terrestrial in wet, sandy soil. During the day, its flowers emit a weak scent of decaying […]
During our recent visit to Vallarta Botanical Gardens, Dave and I took lots of Epidendrum photos. Mexico has many native varieties. It was easy to see that they’re tough plants like my own, and reliable bloomers. Some of the most colorful ones were growing in full tropical sun. The Epidendrum species known as the Greenfly […]
Want to buy your valentine an orchid? Try vanilla! Don’t get me wrong; I’m not suggesting you buy a vanilla plant. As you can see from the healthy specimens at Vallarta Botanical Gardens, these heavy vines are best left to climb up tropical trees or hang in greenhouses. However, it is easy to buy a […]
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