Welcome to a new blog category for “Growing Orchids in San Francisco” with info of interest for the Bay Area. Some old posts fit the new category, too, so I’ll go back and re-label those with local relevance. This post is the first half of a list of orchids I’ve grown outdoors over the years, […]
Coelia bella has a graceful beauty, a rich fragrance, and a musical name. Its delightful purple, white, and yellow flowers emerge like little trumpets, and have the sweet scent of marzipan or almond oil. This species is native to Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Honduras. Coelia is easy to pronounce; just ignore the “o” […]
Flying bird? Incredible insect? Angel from above? The wonderful flowers of this Cochleanthes have a power to captivate. Its large white and purple blooms can be 4 inches (10 cm) tall. This species is native to a vast area of the Amazon Rainforest, across Brazil, Suriname, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. The flowers may look […]
An intimidating Latin name, Paphiopedilum venustum, threatens to distract from this beautiful Paph. Fortunately, that translates to the very pronounceable “Charming Lady Slipper.” The Latin for “Stunning Lady Slipper” might fit better, but perhaps that name was already taken. Indeed, “charming” seems an understatement for this wonderful species from the southern slopes of the Himalayas. […]
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 […]
Can you believe that scientists didn’t discover this large purple flower until the 21st century? Phragmipedium kovachii, conveniently abbreviated as PK, hid in the Peruvian Amazon until 2001. After their discovery, it took several years for plants to legally enter cultivation, and now they’re starting to appear at orchid shows. Dave and I found this […]
Often I like to point out that many orchids are easy to grow, but some varieties deserve their difficult reputations. For example, this purple and white Comparettia ranks as one of the fussier members of the orchid family. It may resemble a simple Oncidium, but don’t be fooled. Cultivating these blooms takes some work. This Comparettia […]
Centuries before the western world became fascinated with orchids, some eastern cultures were cultivating and revering them. For over 400 years, Japanese have grown fuu ran, the “wind orchid.” It’s known in English as Neofinetia, or the Samurai Orchid. This mini species is native to mountainside forests in southern Japan, southern Korea, and eastern China. […]
Repotting an orchid while it’s blooming often causes the flowers to drop, so it’s best to wait until the flowers have finished. But what happens if an orchid just won’t stop blooming? That’s the “problem” I have with this Kefersteinia. It’s been in bloom for over a year now, and it’s messing up my repotting […]
This tiny orchid’s name is bigger than the plant itself. Lepanthopsis astrophora is a Masdevallia relative, and it’s easier to grow than it is to pronounce. Its species name translates from the Latin as “producing stars,” and since this orchid can bloom for months at a time, it certainly earns the moniker. It helps to […]
You are currently browsing the archives for the Intermediate Growers category.
