A Dracula orchid that resembles a monkey face? An Anguloa orchid which looks like a baby in a blanket? Art and design magazine BoredPanda features great photos of orchids and other flowers which look like something else. From the everyday Moth Orchid to the bizarre Flying Duck Orchid, it’s obvious that Mother Nature sometimes recycles […]
AboutOrchids has moved to a new home! We had rented a sunny garden apartment in the middle of San Francisco since the mid-1990’s, but our building was sold last year. With San Francisco’s eviction epidemic making national news, we weren’t surprised when the new owners kicked us out. It’s been very stressful, but fortunately, Dave […]
What looks like a delicate flower, but is actually an aggressive predator? The Orchid Mantis is one of nature’s most surprising creatures. Native to Malaysian and Indonesian rainforests, these insects really resemble flowers. With a cheery pink color, and legs that look like petals, their orchid disguises are so effective that their flying insect prey […]
Greet the new year with orchids! With these calendars, everyone can enjoy 12 months of remarkable flowers. Offerings from the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and the Smithsonian Institution really caught my eye. They’re just a few of the great 2014 choices.
In the UK, Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank (MSB) is saving orchid seeds. As protection against extinction, the MSB stores seeds from thousands of plant species. Since orchid seeds are so tiny, they can be difficult to conserve. Orchids have the smallest seeds of any flowering plants. Some are only as big as specks of dust, […]
There’s much more to the California Academy of Sciences than a rainforest. As one of one the nation’s preeminent natural history museums, it also features an extensive aquarium, a planetarium, a living roof, and even a small penguin colony. This post highlights some of the creatures living in the museum. Starting in the aquarium, the […]
San Francisco’s very own tropical rainforest lives in the Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park. Encased within a 4-story glass bubble, plants and animals bask in light, warmth, and humidity. Birds and butterflies dart between trees, flowers, and human visitors. Walking up from the forest floor into the tops of the trees, there’s living […]
In the Richmond Times-Dispatch, orchid expert Arthur Chadwick explains how to make orchids look their best. Whether you want your blooms to win a ribbon or to dazzle in a photo, it helps to know orchid grooming basics. Good presentation enhances orchid beauty. Some of the tips include: Stake flower spikes upright. Add stakes to […]
Are these orchids really black? Though common in fantasy novels and perfume names, black orchids exist only in legend. Even varieties which appear black are actually dark purple or dark brown. The fact that they don’t exist in nature doesn’t stop the orchid world from trying. Many orchid breeders labor to turn myth into fact […]
Orchids are important symbols for many nations. The countries listed below have picked native orchids as national flowers, and proud emblems of their natural heritage. Many hold special meanings, often associated with important holidays. Some of these species are endangered, and their national status helps promote their conservation. Belize – The Black Orchid, Prosthechea cochleata, […]
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