Orchid seeds don’t carry nutrients. Instead, they rely on a specific fungus to supply food so they can germinate and grow. In the video below, Dr. Viswambharan Sarasan explains how this impacts Kew Gardens’ work to save rare British orchids. Scientists must collect fungi from orchid roots, take months to cultivate them, and identify which […]
Check out the video below for an expert introduction to East Asian Cymbidiums. These orchids grow differently than most others in their genus. Although they’ve been cultivated in China for thousands of years, there’s little care info available in English. The video covers their historical significance in East Asia, variations in flowers and leaves that […]
Marianne North was a phenomenal botanical artist of Victorian England, and you can take a virtual trip to enjoy her gallery at RBG Kew in London. Check out the two videos below, and also photos that Dave took during a visit to the UK in 2019. North’s extraordinary art includes many orchids. She traveled around […]
The Nature Conservancy is working with groups like the North American Orchid Conservation Center to better understand and save endangered orchids. They’re studying orchids, their natural environments, their pollinators, their fungal partners, and the threats they face. With over 25,000 orchid species around the world, it’s a formidable task. In fact, there are more orchid […]
Want to take a magical orchid vacation without the hassles of travel? Settle in for three video tours from Botany Boy. China’s Sichuan province is one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots, and its fabled mountains are full of remarkable orchids. These videos include basic info about these spectacular wild beauties, so you’ll know what you’re […]
For many years, I’ve done my best each month to assemble listings for orchid events around the world. This month, sadly, I need to say that if there are any shows, auctions, or conferences still happening, you shouldn’t go. Shelter at home to help stop the spread of COVID19. Use the time to care for […]
RBG Kew reports on Dracula smaug, a newly discovered orchid. This orchid isn’t named after the vampire legend; “Dracula” means “little dragon” in Latin, and “Smaug” is the name of the fire-breathing dragon from JRR Tolkien’s classic, The Hobbit. The species was discovered in cloud forests of northwestern Ecuador, near the Colombian border. Even though […]
Radio New Zealand exposes a tale of botanical deceit. Corybas, also known as Spider Orchids, are strange little plants which inhabit the New Zealand forest floor. Humans can’t smell their mushroom-scented blooms, but fungus gnats can. They’re tricked into pollinating the flowers. To study how that works, orchid researcher Carlos Lehnebach converted his bathtub into an […]
National Geographic reports on important discoveries about Florida’s famous Ghost Orchids. Scientists and photographers have found that they aren’t just pollinated by one species of moth, but by several different species. That’s good for the strange and fascinating leafless orchids, which are very endangered. After spending thousands of hours taking photos at the Corkscrew Swamp […]
National Geographic Wild has captured extraordinary footage of Bucket Orchids and bees. Coryanthes, or Bucket Orchids, have evolved intricate traps, complete with scented lures and dripping faucets, to detain their pollinators. While trying to gather the flower’s fragrant oils, the bees slip into a bucket of liquid, and can only escape by squeezing past the […]
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