AboutOrchids

New Zealand’s tiny Ghost Orchid isn’t easy to find. (Even though it shares a common name, it’s different from Florida’s famous Ghost Orchid of The Orchid Thief fame.) The New Zealand species is the only member of the Corybas genus that has stopped using photosynthesis. Instead, it lives off nutrients from fungi. Without chlorophyll, it’s […]

Radio New Zealand exposes a tale of botanical deceit. Corybas, also known as Spider Orchids, are strange little plants which inhabit the New Zealand forest floor. Humans can’t smell their mushroom-scented blooms, but fungus gnats can. They’re tricked into pollinating the flowers. To study how that works, orchid researcher Carlos Lehnebach converted his bathtub into an […]

Orchids are not just denizens of the tropics; they live almost everywhere in the world. Even the high elevations of Colorado’s Four Corners region host many native species. Two of them are shown here: the Fairy Slipper, or Calypso bulbosa, and the Bog Orchid, or Platanthera. My mother-in-law took these photos in early July while […]

Life is great on the Northern California coast, but it can be tough for plants. Strong winds and chilly fog can be big challenges for our garden. Fortunately, the vast and diverse orchid family provides lots of choices. Here are three tenacious orchids that are happily living just 1/3 mile (0.5 km) from the ocean. […]

This little orchid is certainly not the showiest, or the most colorful, but it’s a survivor. I blogged about this mini Cynorkis a few years ago, when I thought I might have killed it. Actually, it was fine, and grew again without problem. In the years since, whenever I’ve worried that I might have done […]

Big flowers get more attention, but don’t overlook the little ones. They may be tiny, or downright tough to see, but small orchid flowers are just as intricate and fascinating as showier blooms. These photos from July’s Orchids in the Park event highlight a few of their marvels. Dave’s and my cameras can compensate a […]

In all the years I’ve been doing this blog, this tiny Stelis orchid has not bloomed — until now! It had flowered in past years, but not since 2006. I don’t know what’s made it so happy, but it now boasts eight flower spikes, despite some hot and dry weather. Dave and I were finally […]

Is anything more opulent than a Jewel Orchid? These mini terrestrials are treasured for their striking foliage, which boasts beautiful vein patterns on satiny leaves. The first row of photos below shows Ludisias, the easiest and most commonly grown Jewel Orchids. They’re usually seen with dark purple leaves and bright pink stripes, but there are […]

New orchid species are discovered all the time. One of the latest, a tiny Podochilus species from Vietnam, adds to the tens of thousands already known to science.

This orchid doesn’t win any points for being showy. Nobody gasps in delight when they see its flowers, or gushes over its colors. Epidendrum peperomia is a mini orchid species with flowers that remind me of beetles. It’s quite distinct from its larger orchid relatives, like the reed-stem Epidendrums, which flaunt tall clusters of brilliant […]