If you’re looking for a great beginner’s orchid beyond the typical Phal, this Australian Dendrobium species is popular in cultivation and easy to grow. It doesn’t have big showy flowers, but Dendrobium kingianum more than compensates with prolific blooms and a honey-sweet scent. Flowers can last for 2 months. This Dendrobium can handle a wide […]
I bought this little charmer last month at the Pacific Orchid Expo. It’s a Kefersteinia, and it’s been covered with blooms for over a month. This species flowers frequently, producing a single bloom on each spike. The flowers last about a week, but there’s a constant resupply of 1 inch (2.5 cm) yellow flowers with […]
No, this Dracula orchid doesn’t bite your neck or sleep in a coffin, but this miniature is interesting in its own right. Dracula means “little dragon” in Latin, and the botanist who named this genus thought that the flowers looked like dragon’s teeth. I think they look more like orange bells, but I’m grateful for […]
We have so many great pictures from this year’s San Francisco Orchid Show that 2 posts weren’t enough. As usual most are Dave’s, but I took a couple of these. The 1st shot shows a nice close-up of Darwin’s Orchid, the same species we saw at the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden growing up in a […]
The 30,000 or so species of orchids around the world have tremendous variations in their flower shapes. Some of them have shapes that are truly surprising. Others are so unusual that it can be tough to believe that they’re real. And some have flowers that are just plain weird. Here are some great examples from […]
Question: if you put 150,000 orchid flowers in a room, what will you have? Answer: the 2009 Pacific Orchid Exposition in San Francisco. You’ll also have Dave and me running around with our cameras, trying to take pictures of as many of those flowers as possible. Here are a few samples: This year’s theme was […]
If you don’t live in the tropics, you may be surprised that this beautiful flower belongs to a pesky weed. If you live in a rainy area of the tropics, you probably recognize it. It’s Arundina, commonly known by its nickname “Bamboo Orchid.” The small plant in the 3rd photo shows the strong stems and […]
Jewel orchids are a fascinating group of plants that are grown for their beautiful foliage. Usually, mention of their colorful leaves includes a statement that the flowers are uninteresting. I always find that an amusing statement, but maybe I’m biased as an orchid geek that all orchids are interesting. I do believe that this mini […]
Valentine’s Day means roses and chocolates for many people, but they’re not the only holiday gifts. If you received an orchid as a gift for Valentine’s Day, you may be wondering how to properly care for it. It will help to first identify it so that you can know its specific needs. It’s usually not […]
In honor of Charles Darwin’s 200th birthday today (by the way, he was born the exact same day as Abraham Lincoln!) I have some remarkable pictures of “Darwin’s Orchid.” This stunning orchid has a long scientific name, Angraecum sesquipedale. Easier to pronounce is its nickname, Darwin’s Orchid, so named since it played an important role […]
You are currently browsing the archives for the Photos category.
