Dave and I took advantage of a nice spring day to enjoy nearby Mission Dolores Park, a green island between the Mission and Castro neighborhoods. We didn’t find any orchids, but there was so much in bloom that we barely noticed. These delightful cherry blossoms had us pulling out our cameras before we even got […]
This unusual orchid is a Pterostylis. If you don’t enjoy trying to pronounce Greek scientific names, you’ll be happy to know that Pterostylis are nicknamed “greenhoods” in their native Australia and New Zealand. The bug-eaten pair of flowers in the first set of photos shows the unusual flower shape, including a slightly twisted flower lip […]
When you think Zygopetalum, think purple. There are dozens of Zygo species and hybrids, and every one I’ve seen has great purple color. The hybrid Zygo in these pictures has a spectacular purple lip, but that’s not its only distinction. The 3 inch (8 cm) flowers can last for months, and have a strong fragrance. […]
A few faithful readers have reminded me that I’m overdue for a garden update. Since the backyard has burst into bloom with spring, I have to agree that it’s definitely past time. I’ll start with some orchids that are right on their spring schedules: a great purple Epidendrum and a pink & purple Bletilla. As […]
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 […]
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