London’s Natural History Museum needs your help. The museum has started an Orchid Observers citizen science project, and it’s looking for volunteers to help study how climate change is affecting native British orchids. Scientists have already found that some species have been blooming earlier, consistent with warmer springtime temperatures. At Orchid Observers, you can choose […]
Bee Orchids know how to appeal to bees. In the first video below, a botanist from London’s Natural History Museum explores the elaborate deceptions of these fascinating plants. Also known as Ophrys apifera, Bee Orchids mimic the appearance and pheromones of their namesake bugs to trick them into pollinating their flowers. The video also shows a […]
I’ve blogged several times about the world’s most delicious orchid, vanilla. But did you know that there are other edible orchids? One of the most popular orchid foods is salep, or sahlep. In Turkey and the lands of the former Ottoman Empire, the roots of Mediterranean orchids are milled into flour, and added to ice […]
Looking to relax? How about a calming visit to floating orchid forest? Tokyo’s Miraikan Museum has just what you need. As guests walk though the exhibit in the video below, computers gently raise and lower thousands of living orchids hanging from the ceiling. It’s reminiscent of the lush beauty of Avatar, and I’m sure it’s full […]
Take a peek at the secret life of orchids in the short video below. Smithsonian Ecologist Melissa McCormick explains how much wild orchids need fungi to survive. Many types of plants exchange nutrients with fungi, but orchids cheat this symbiotic relationship by eating their fungi instead. Fortunately, a little fertilizer will suffice with your orchids […]
Escape from winter with this video from Longwood Gardens Orchid Extravaganza. Located in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, Longwood Gardens is one of the nation’s premier botanical gardens. Visitors can luxuriate in tropical warmth with orchids and other exotic plants in Longwood’s 4 acre (1.6 hectare) conservatory. This video highlights the exhibit’s elaborate displays of Phals, Cattleyas, […]
Enjoy these two short, time-lapse videos featuring the blooms of rare Ghost Orchids. It’s easy to see why these flowers inspire so much fascination and intrigue. In the first video, a small flower spike emerges from the roots of this bizarre, leafless orchid species. The growing spike unfurls a perfect Ghost Orchid flower, revealed in […]
Singapore is in full bloom for the Singapore Garden Festival, and, of course, orchids are a big part of the show. The event opens today and runs until August 24th. The 33 foot (10 m) tall wall of orchids in this video is only one of the amazing displays. In the second video, an enormous […]
The North American Orchid Conservation Center (NAOCC) works to save endangered orchids in the USA and Canada. About 250 orchid species are native to North America, and many are threatened by habitat destruction, climate change, and illegal poaching. The NAOCC was created by the Smithsonian Institution and the US Botanic Garden to conserve these native treasures. […]
Martha Stewart extolls the wonders of the New York Botanical Garden’s (NYBG) Orchid Show. Her discussion with an NYBG curator reflects her fascination with getting all the orchids blooming at the right time. This beautiful exhibit has a Key West theme, and runs until April 21st. Enjoy the video preview below:
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