AboutOrchids

In a chilly, windy July rain, near a trail with a long name, in between glaciers with longer names, orchids bloom in southern Iceland. Orchids near the Arctic Circle? In fact, orchids live just about everywhere on earth, including Iceland, which is home to seven native species. Two of them are shown here. The Heath […]

Western Australia’s south coast is suffering through an exceptionally dry winter, but some rare native orchids are thriving anyway. Local orchid lovers are finding Queen of Sheba Orchids and other fascinating Australian natives despite the drought. With underground tubers to store water, these little terrestrials can handle some adversity. Orchid enthusiast Robert Tozer noted “Only about […]

Lovers of North American native orchids won’t want to miss the Native Orchid Conference. This year’s event is happening July 26-30 at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center in Edgewater, Maryland. The annual conference features lectures and field trips to see native orchids in the wild. Online, you can find Everything You Need to Know About […]

The UK’s Wildlife Trusts make it easy for nature lovers to enjoy wild British orchids. There are dozens of Wildlife Trusts throughout the UK, which help promote conservation, manage nature preserves, and provide educational activities. Many of the groups offer expertly guided tours of Britain’s wonderful native orchids. Simply search their upcoming events for “orchids” […]

Wouldn’t it be great to take an orchid vacation? The Orchid Conservation Alliance (OCA) regularly sponsors trips to exotic lands with experts who guide orchid tours. These trips feature orchids in their native habitats, and raise money for conservation projects. Tours are limited to 15 people maximum. Future trips include Yunnan, China in May, and […]

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that tens of thousands of wild orchids have bloomed around Canberra. After a very wet winter across the Australian Capital Territory, dozens of different orchid species are putting on a show. With common names like Donkey Orchids, Beard Orchids, and Helmet Orchids, they have a myriad of fascinating sizes and […]

Check out the blog of nature writer and photographer Jon Dunn, featuring lots of great photos and stories of native British orchids in the wild. Some of his recent posts include “Epipactis Heaven and Helleborine”, “Orchids of the Highlands and Islands”, “To Bee or Not Too Bee”, and “Lady, Man, Monkey and Chimaera Orchids”, and […]

Thanks to Leighton Photography & Imaging for these gorgeous photos of Florida’s wild orchids. Check out great shots of rare natives like the Cigar Orchid and the Yellow Cowhorn Orchid. There are also beautiful photos of non-natives like the African Spotted Orchid, which have naturalized in Florida’s subtropical climate. You can find more native orchid […]

Kiwi orchid lovers have a great new app to help them identify native New Zealand species. With over 1500 images, users can identify over 120 varieties. The app is available for both Android and Apple devices.

Orchids grow all over the world, not just in the tropics. High in the mountains, canyons, and plateaus of Southwest Colorado, many remarkable native orchid species thrive, despite the harsh conditions. Dave’s mother lives in the Four Corners area of Colorado, and, like her son, has a great photographic eye. She and her hiking pals have […]