The Chelsea Flower Show has celebrated its 100th birthday. London’s biggest gardening event welcomed its next century with typical pomp and floral beauty, and an added element: gnomes. As always, orchids were a big part of the show. Word spread early that one of Britain’s rarest orchids had its own team of bodyguards. The extraordinary […]
Starting today, March 2nd, and running until April 22nd, the New York Botanical Garden offers the best of the vast, exotic orchid family. With more than 3000 orchids on display, visitors can enjoy a slice of tropical rainforest in the Bronx. Curator Marc Hachadourian explains how the lush spectacle will change over the weeks: “As […]
Biologists from William & Mary College in Virginia are looking for Lady Slippers. They’ve found some rare Cypripediums growing wild near campus, and these Lady Slippers are very finicky about where they live. They need precise growing conditions, both for themselves and for a mutualistic fungus which lives in their roots. In addition, natural selection […]
Fitting enough for February’s “Obsession Issue” of Smithsonian magazine, there’s an engaging article about “The Orchid Olympics.” Last November’s World Orchid Conference in Singapore attracted over 300,000 visitors from 55 countries. Don’t miss the Smithsonian’s superb video tour of the event, highlighting the prize-winning Orchid Society of Papua New Guinea. Then check out the astonishing […]
If you don’t have your own electron microscope, you’ll enjoy this entertaining video from TED and an accompanying article in the UK’s Guardian. Jonathan Drori showcases some of the most incredible pollination strategies among the world’s quarter-million flowering plants. Naturally, orchids are some of the stars of the show. With dazzling photos, his talk highlights […]
A South Florida news team is hot on the trail of a blue Phal mystery. Blue Phals sell at major retailers like Home Depot and Lowe’s. They’re not naturally blue, but dyed instead. The horticulture industry has been dying other flower varieties for years, but the patented process is relatively new to orchids. Nobody paints […]
Check out these two short videos to explore the brand new Miller Nature Preserve near Cleveland, Ohio. With 83 acres (34 hectares) of woodlands and a 5000 square feet (465 square meters) conservatory, it’s already a destination. Besides an extensive orchid collection, the conservatory has tropical plants, bonsai trees, carnivorous plants, fountains, and waterfalls. Enjoy […]
The orchid family is full of strange pollination mechanisms. Catasetums have sweet scents, but it’s their incredible trick for gluing pollen to bees which has intrigued scientists from Darwin until now. When a bee touches a hair trigger, the orchid ejects glue and pollen to land on a precise spot on the bee’s back. I’ve […]
Australian scientists have successfully cultivated the bizarre Eastern Underground Orchid for the first time. Australia is known for its fascinating flora and fauna, but this endangered orchid may be the one of the most bizarre plant species in the world. Rhizanthella lives almost entirely underground, and only emerges above ground when it flowers. Without leaves, […]
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