AboutOrchids

A blooming Ghost Orchid is a very rare sight, so imagine my surprise when I spotted this beautiful specimen in an ice rink. Made famous with the bestselling book The Orchid Thief and the movie Adaptation, Ghost Orchids are rare in the wild, tough to grow, and uncommon in cultivation. It’s the holy grail for orchid geeks like me. I’d never seen one in bloom at any orchid show, botanical garden, or greenhouse, so it was quite an unexpected discovery last weekend at the Orchid Society of Northwestern Pennsylvania Show in Erie.

This Ghost Orchid was part of an exhibit by Kim and Edgar Stehli of Windswept in Time Orchids. They’re located in Broadview Heights, Ohio, and can be reached by phone for sales at 440-838-5757. Ghost Orchids amaze with their stunning, fragrant white flowers and lack of leaves. They grow by using chlorophyll in their roots. Some of these photos show the greenish-white tangle of roots dangling behind the exotic flower. Ghost Orchids are native to swamps and coastal forests in South Florida, the Bahamas, and Cuba.

I’ll post more photos from Erie soon, but this remarkable bloom is my choice as the highlight of the show held in an ice rink. Even if I’m lucky enough to see another Ghost Orchid flower again, I’ll bet it won’t be so close to a Zamboni.

Motherhood can bring many joys to one’s life, but an orchid gift for Mother’s Day may feel a little daunting. Sure, it’s a beautiful token of appreciation, but if your maternal instincts cause you to fret about its care, that orchid may cause you some anxiety.

Take a deep breath and relax. Caring for orchids is much easier than caring for children. With a few basic care tips, you’ll find that most common orchid varieties don’t deserve their finicky reputation. Many are resilient plants that can take some neglect or mistreatment. With some care, they can keep their exotic tropical flowers for extended periods. They may even surprise you and bloom again in just a few months. And once more, you’ll know that special parental pride, maybe similar to when your child brings home an “A” on their report card. So enjoy that orchid gift as a token of love like it was intended, and trust that your maternal skills can allow it to flourish.

With a bewildering variety of orchid choices for Mother’s Day, it helps to know some basics. Commonly sold orchids have varying charms and care needs, and you wanna pick what mama’s gonna like. For example, if mom likes bright colors, you might try Phals, or Moth Orchids. They can delight with weeks or even months of blooms, and don’t mind low light. Or, she may prefer bright yellow Oncidiums, with masses of small flowers. The nickname “Dancing Lady Orchids” aptly describes their arching sprays of flowers moving in a breeze.

Maybe mom’s style is better suited for Paphs, or Lady Slippers, which have solitary flowers that make a bold statement. They’re as exotic as they come, and can grow in low light. Epidendrums also make bold statements with colorful balls of flowers, but they need brighter light.

Does mom prefer fragrant flowers? Elegant Cattleyas are the classic corsage orchids, with large blooms and sweet scents. Dendrobiums offer exotic flowers in a wide range of dramatic shapes and colors, and some varieties are fragrant.

Finally, if mom prefers really low maintenance, there are many beautiful orchid books. A few of my favorites include:

• Orchids
• Moth Orchids: The Complete Guide to Phalaenopsis
• Rainforest

Masdevallias come in many magnificent forms, but few inspire more superlatives than Masdevallia coccinea. Its large flowers sit atop stems up to 2 ft. (60  cm) tall. There are numerous natural color varieties, like eye-catching red, purple, orange, yellow, white, or in this case, hot pink. This form also has a contrasting yellow throat.

This species grows at high elevations  in the Andes of Colombia and Peru. Said to grace the rainforests around Machu Picchu, it thrives with cool temps, regular water, high humidity, and constant air movement. In the past, mine has sulked on hot summer days when San Francisco has lost its air-conditioning fog layer. Fortunately, Dave was able to capture this wonderful flush of blooms on camera before temperatures warmed.

Masdevallia coccinea has been used as a hybrid parent for decades, and its characteristics appear in many modern orchid hybrids. The final photos show flower close-ups and an unopened flower bud with pink and yellow showing through. It’s no surprise that it lends some magic to the Lost City of the Incas.

Orchid shows take place in every corner of the globe this month, so it’s a great time to grab an orchid fix. Many are perfectly timed on the second weekend of May for Mother’s Day. The schedule will slow down next month, since summer heat complicates orchid logistics in the Northern Hemisphere. You can buy a gift for Mom, and scratch that orchid itch at the same time.

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One of the best questions to ask before buying an orchid is “what kind should I buy?”  Many people buy an orchid because they like the flowers, without regard for its care needs. However, different orchids can require different temperature ranges, light levels, and watering schedules. If it’s not the right orchid for the available conditions, the plant suffers. I’ve succumbed to floral temptation even when I know better, so I can’t point fingers, but I can suggest that you plan ahead. If you want to keep your orchid long-term, first figure out what conditions you can provide, and then select a suitable variety. The orchid family is large and diverse, and you can find one for almost any environment.

• For warm temps, try Phals, Paphs, Cattleyas, Dendrobiums, or Oncidiums.
• For cooler temps, look at Cymbidiums, Masdevallias, Miltonias, or Odontoglossums.
• In low light conditions, use Phals, Paphs, or Masdevallias.
• In high light (direct sun for part of the day,) Cattleyas, Cymbidiums, Dendrobiums, Epidendrums, Oncidiums, and Vandas can thrive.
• Cymbidiums, Masdevallias, Miltonias, Paphs, Phals, and Vandas need water frequently.
• Cattleyas, Dendrobiums, Epidendrums, and Oncidiums like to dry out, so they don’t need water as often.
• All orchids need good humidity and air movement.
• If you’re buying an orchid for Mother’s Day, mom will probably want to keep it blooming as long as possible, and maybe even try to make it re-bloom. Think about what growing conditions she can provide in her home or office. If your mom is online, you can send her to AboutOrchids to learn the basics. And it wouldn’t hurt to buy her a nice orchid book that she can enjoy, no matter how the plant fares.
• Check out my previous posts with orchid buying tips.

If you’ve ever decided that a weed was pretty, you’ll understand the botanical definition of “volunteer.” A volunteer is a plant that arrives in a garden, usually as seed, blown by wind or carried by bird. It’s a weed if you don’t want to keep it; it’s a volunteer if you do. My rule of thumb is that if it has nice flowers, and isn’t too invasive, it can stay. Most are annuals that re-seed, and are very low maintenance. For example, here are three volunteers which have arrived in our garden over the years: a Forget-Me-Not, a Geranium, and a Nasturtium.

Of course, most plants in our garden are deliberate introductions, not accidental arrivals. Native to Italy, tiny green leaves of Baby’s Tears arrived as decoration in a bonsai pot. They loved San Francisco’s Mediterranean climate, and were easy to propagate. Now they form great ground-covering masses wherever they find regular moisture, and add green to garden nooks. The next photo shows a yellow Freesia bloom, but a photo can’t capture its great fragrance. Native to South Africa, Freesias do well in our mild climate. The third photo shows a blue Love-in-the-Mist flower bud among lacy leaves.

Our April garden also includes perennials, like purple African Daisies, a brilliant red Sage, and a bright blue Solanum. Also known as the Blue Potato Bush, Solanum is in the Nightshade family, and a relative of potatoes, tomatoes, and eggplants. Ours came to us when we rescued a neighbor’s discarded plant, and nursed it back to health. No matter how they’ve found their way to our backyard, they’re all putting up a great spring show.

It’s true that orchids and volcanoes have coexisted for eons, but this tale of troubles for the Dutch orchid industry adds a new angle (the news story starts with similar woes in the salmon industry, and the orchids are a few paragraphs down.) With air traffic backlogged in Northern Europe, Cymbidiums grown in Holland may not make it to North America in time for May weddings. New Zealand’s orchid growers are happy to pick up the slack, so the bouquets and corsages are safe.

Whether or not you needed an Icelandic volcano to remind you that Mother Nature is fully in control of things, Earth Day gains urgency with each passing year. We can’t stop a volcano, but we can take action against human-caused threats to orchids, like habitat destruction, climate change, pollution, and theft of wild plants. Many orchid species go extinct every year, some completely unknown to science. Other may survive in cultivation, but disappear from the wild, more broken strands in the web of rainforest life. In honor of Earth Day, take action to save orchids. A few good places to start include:

• American Orchid Society
• Nature Conservancy
• Greenpeace
• European Orchid Council
• Orchid Conservation Coalition

To become involved locally, find a nearby orchid society or botanical garden. They’ll welcome any time, energy, or donation you can offer.

With such spectacular flowers, orchid leaves usually don’t capture too much attention. However, Jewel Orchids have foliage that steals the show. Many Jewel Orchid varieties are best suited for experienced orchid growers, but Ludisias are easy to grow. The American Orchid Society calls Ludisia “A Foolproof Orchid.” link no longer works They sport dark green leaves with bright pink stripes.

In some parts of their native range in Southeast Asia, they’re so common that they’re considered weeds. Ludisias live in rainforests from India to Indonesia, and grow as terrestrials in sandy soil. They’re easy to root by placing cuttings of their thick stems into moss or water. Jewel Orchids enjoy the same conditions as African Violets: regular waterings, warm temps, high humidity, and shade. They’ll also grow under artificial lights.

In the past few years, new Ludisia colors and leaf patterns have appeared on the market. They’re also easy to grow. For all varieties, watch out for mealybug and scale, which may be a symptom of low humidity.

Their small, white flowers, standing on tall, fuzzy spikes above the foliage, are easier to appreciate with the benefit of Dave’s photography skills. They have a light, sweet scent. Of course, even when the flowers fade, the Jewel Orchid’s leaves continue the show.

As the days grow longer with spring, the season brings some orchid chores, including repotting. Orchid repotting can be intimidating for beginning growers, so in addition to the basics, I have a few more hints to help:

• Orchids that have just finished blooming often enter a cycle of new leaf and root growth. This is an ideal time to repot so the new roots can grow into fresh potting material.
• If the orchid is potted in bark, repot once every 2-3 years. To test if your orchid is due, dig out a piece of bark and squeeze it between your fingers. Bark that remains solid is still in good shape; bark that squishes or crumbles is rotted. This means that the roots cannot get enough air flow, and it’s time to repot.
• If the orchid is in moss, repot every year, or whenever the moss becomes moldy or slimy.
• If new leaves start to rot, the cause may be that corresponding new roots need better air flow. Those new roots may be out of sight underneath, but they are essential for the plant’s health. Remove the orchid from the pot and repot it.
• If excess water is slow to drain out of the bottom of the pot, then it’s time to repot.
• When repotting, keep in mind how orchids grow in the wild as epiphytes, or air plants. In pots, they need good drainage, which means that water and air flow freely through the potting material and out the drainage holes.
• Check out these helpful videos showing an orchid pro repotting an orchid in moss, and repotting one in bark.