The Million Orchid Project continues to return rare native plants to Florida’s cities. While earlier efforts have focused on Miami-Dade County, volunteers recently attached 250 endangered species to trees, or planted them in the ground, in Boynton Beach, making them the first in Palm Beach County. This ambitious experiment is based on a wildly successful […]
Its flowers resemble maggot-infested meat, and its scent has been compared to “a thousand dead elephants rotting in the sun.” Meet the orchid species Bulbophyllum phalaenopsis, which attracts carrion flies as pollinators.
Spathoglottis, or Ground Orchids, are staples of the tropics. They’re sturdy enough to serve as landscaping plants in shopping plazas, like these orchids on the island of Kauai. Grown alone in pots, or in flowerbeds with other tropicals, they make gorgeous displays. These terrestrials are easy to keep in the tropics, but hard to grow […]
McBryde Garden on the island of Kauai is one of Hawaii’s extraordinary places. Set in a verdant valley, it’s part of the National Tropical Botanical Garden, with a mission of conservation and research, especially for Hawaii’s endangered native flora. Dave and I were lucky enough to visit recently and enjoy its amazing sights. The garden […]
Moth Orchids, or Phals, always put on an impressive show. They’ve become essential for Valentine’s Day and the Lunar New Year. A steady stream of new hybrid colors and patterns continually adds to the list of Phal choices. Best of all, modern hybrids are grown for both beauty and toughness. They are as easy to […]
The Manila Bulletin highlights some of the delightful color variations found in a favorite local orchid. Phalaenopsis equestris is a Moth Orchid species which is usually white and pink. However, many other color forms exist in white, yellow, orange, or purple. Scroll through their photos to explore the color array.
This isn’t just a miniature orchid — it’s a micro orchid! When we went to Orchids in the Park a couple weeks ago, nobody was expecting to see one of the tiniest orchid flowers in the world. Dave didn’t have his macro lens, but he did pretty well with his regular camera. This mini Platystele […]
Scientists are working to restore wild populations of Florida’s native orchids, including the famous Ghost Orchid. Seedlings grown in labs are being transplanted in the Everglades. So far, results have been promising, with many young plants surviving the move. For most of the year, these bizarre, leafless orchids are simply masses of roots attached to […]
Vanilla, the world’s most delicious orchid, has been going up in price. The beans are more expensive due to several factors, including a poor crop in Madagascar, the world’s biggest producer. Other problems include speculators who hoard the beans, previous years of low prices when farmers switched to other crops, and criminals who use the […]
Even if it seems that Dave is on a whirlwind tour of the planet’s botanical gardens, that’s not really the case. He’s just traveling a lot for work, and he’s taking advantage of chances to sightsee. Last week, after a conference in Canada, he was able to enjoy one of the most impressive gardens in […]
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