Orchids in the Park is “two days of orchids and fun.” It’s a sale and exhibition from the San Francisco Orchid Society, coming Sept. 17-18 to the County Fair Building in Golden Gate Park, 9th Ave. & Lincoln Way. This is a junior version of the enormous Pacific Orchid Expo held earlier in the year. […]
The “Golden Gate Gardener” on SFGate devotes the top half of a column to an orchid weed. No, it’s not the tropical Bamboo Orchid, but instead an emigrant from Europe, Epipactis helleborine. It’s related to the Stream Orchid, the native Epipactis that I grow. Epipactis helleborine has a home range across a broad swath of […]
If you don’t have your own electron microscope, you’ll enjoy this entertaining video from TED and an accompanying article in the UK’s Guardian. Jonathan Drori showcases some of the most incredible pollination strategies among the world’s quarter-million flowering plants. Naturally, orchids are some of the stars of the show. With dazzling photos, his talk highlights […]
Excitement is building months ahead of the 20th World Orchid Conference (WOC) in Singapore. Nicknamed the “Orchid Olympics,” the WOC occurs every 3 years. From November 13 – 20, it’s happening at the astonishing Marina Bay Sands, where it’s expected to attract 300,000 visitors. The WOC includes a show with 50,000 orchids, vendors from 15 […]
The Honolulu Civil Beat offers two great stories about native Hawaiian orchids. The first article, “Hawaii’s Three Native Orchids,” is a quick read with great photos of the endangered species. It has an update on attempts to rescue the rarest variety from extinction, which I’ve blogged about before. So far, it’s good news on Kauai, […]
A South Florida news team is hot on the trail of a blue Phal mystery. Blue Phals sell at major retailers like Home Depot and Lowe’s. They’re not naturally blue, but dyed instead. The horticulture industry has been dying other flower varieties for years, but the patented process is relatively new to orchids. Nobody paints […]
San Francisco Bay Area orchids highlight an article in the Los Gatos Patch. Numerous native species grow in the Santa Cruz Mountains south of San Francisco, and they call to longtime orchid lover Ed Nazzal like sirens. He braves poison oak and rattlesnakes to find lovely locals like the Steam Orchid, Epipactis gigantea, and the […]
Costa Rica has added even more orchids to its remarkable biodiversity. Near the border with Panama, in a previously unexplored region of La Amistad International Park, scientists from Lankester Botanical Garden have discovered 10 new species. Finding new orchids isn’t unusual, but it’s astounding that researchers found so many in a small area during a […]
The story’s been told many times before, e.g. The Orchid Thief, but tragically, it never dies. The BBC has an update on the “Invasion of the orchid snatchers,” collectors who illegally take orchids from the wild. The article includes info about several orchids, including Phrag kovachii, the giant purple lady slipper discovered in Peru in […]
Check out these two short videos to explore the brand new Miller Nature Preserve near Cleveland, Ohio. With 83 acres (34 hectares) of woodlands and a 5000 square feet (465 square meters) conservatory, it’s already a destination. Besides an extensive orchid collection, the conservatory has tropical plants, bonsai trees, carnivorous plants, fountains, and waterfalls. Enjoy […]
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