Cattleyas are orchid royalty. For generations, their brilliant colors, exotic shapes, and rich perfumes have made them prime choices as elegant corsages. These photos of Cattleya species and hybrids illustrate only a few from thousands of varieties. Orchid growers often refer to them as “Catts,” and say “Cattleya care” to encapsulate their growing needs: bright […]
If our sunny deck weren’t covered with orchids, it might be covered with dahlias instead. These flashy perennials come in many different colors and shapes, and they are San Francisco’s official flower. We’ve made room for a few varieties in the back garden. These are just a drop in the bucket of dahlia shapes and […]
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As a city dweller with limited growing space, I can always appreciate a mini orchid. I was immediately intrigued by this charmer in a 2-inch (5-cm) flowerpot for sale at last winter’s Pacific Orchid Expo. My reward came a few months later with these tiny, light pink blooms. While this species’ flower spike can reach […]
The Miami Herald has a Ghost Orchid alert! In Florida, the Audubon Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary has a Ghost Orchid blooming within sight of its visitor boardwalk. Earlier in the summer, this plant’s first flower buds became grasshopper snacks, but 5 new buds have survived and opened. Besides the name Ghost Orchid, this species also goes […]
Summertime is a great time to relax with refreshing Storzette, “the Orchid of Beer.” Alas, only the ad campaign remains from this floral appeal to women in the 1950’s. “The original beer for women” was a creation of Storz Brewing in Omaha, Nebraska, and featured a colorful Cattleya on the label. “Created for the feminine […]
Orchids have been staples of office decor since supermarkets and garden centers began selling mass-produced plants in the 1980’s. Tough, modern hybrids can survive, and even thrive, in work environments which often have less than ideal growing conditions. Check the following tips to keep your office orchid blooming: As always, it helps to know what […]
Orchids have drawn the eye of The New York Times Fashion & Style section. The Times laments that becoming a “grocery staple” has dulled the mystique of once-exotic orchids. While Phals have become common, however, tens of thousands of other varieties continue to inspire. From elusive black orchid flowers to custom hybrids, orchids still spawn […]
Mysta-what? With a name bigger than its tiny white flowers, this mini orchid doesn’t look tough. However, looks can be deceiving. Despite its delicate facade, this species survives attached to thorny Acacia trees in the heat of South Africa’s savannas, where few other orchids can live. It can also handle light winter frosts. This toughness […]
If orchids could read blog posts, I might be suspicious of this Rhynchostele. I complained online that it hadn’t bloomed in 6 years, and a few days later, a pair of new flowers appeared. You can find it noted last in the list at Outdoor Orchids in San Francisco, part 1 under the name Lemboglossum. […]
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