AboutOrchids

What’s my favorite orchid? My answer to that question has always been “whatever’s in bloom right now.” Of course, there are special ones, but I can’t narrow it down to a single winner. Instead, I’ll invent a few categories to help out.

Favorite flowers – Masdevallias are my favorites, but it was a tough call to choose just one. It’d be easy to pick Masdevallia coccinea or Masdevallia veitchiana, but I’m going to say it’s Masdevallia chaparensis. My plant was a gift from a friend. Its charming spots look like they could belong to a purple jaguar.

Favorite fragrance – Dendrobium x delicatum is an Australian hybrid. Its flowers aren’t big or colorful, but they have a rich, sweet honey perfume. Mine grows outdoors all year, reliably blooming for a couple months each spring. I can often smell it from halfway across the garden.

Favorite overall plant – Paphiopedilum venustum var. album is a showstopper, boasting dramatic green and white flowers. The beautifully mottled leaves guarantee this Lady Slipper is attractive even when out of bloom.

Favorite for sentimental reasons – I don’t even remember when or where I got this big pink Cymbidium hybrid. It must have been during the 1990’s. I don’t know its name. Dave and I repotted this enormous plant a couple years ago into a 2-foot (61 cm) wide pot. Sometimes it stays in bloom for 11 months, only taking a short break before it begins again.

Favorite for toughness – My big red Epidendrum has flowered constantly outdoors for over 20 years, enduring heat waves, hail storms, powerful winds, cold spells, and raccoon mischief. Unusually, it readily grows from seed in the garden. It may be Epidendrum x obrienianum, but I’m not sure. I’ve shared its keikis with many friends and neighbors over the decades.

Favorite that I’ve lost – The original white Moth Orchid that got me hooked on orchids was a gift from a friend who later died. It bloomed regularly for over 20 years, but I sadly lost it to a virus. Fortunately, I still have photos and memories.

Despite being the slowest month for orchid events, December has shows, classes, and festivals listed on four continents. Many orchid societies have holiday parties, so check with your local group for more festivities.

I’m captivated by this legendary Masdevallia veitchiana with its bold colors. In mid-October, it opened a gorgeous flower. A few weeks later, it was followed by a second, and then a third! The oldest blossom has been damaged by the elements, but it’s still standing tall. Together, all three are putting on a great show in our backyard. And, there are three more flower buds emerging. You can rest assured that I’ll be blogging and bragging about this beauty as its show goes on.

Would you like to name a new orchid? The American Orchid Society (AOS) has teamed up with expert growers who will let you name a new hybrid for a $1000 USD donation to the AOS. It’s the perfect gift for yourself or another orchid lover. The donations will be used to fund conservation, research, and education. Your chosen name will be officially registered with the UK’s Royal Horticultural Society. To start, go to the AOS donation page, and choose “Petals of Generosity: Legacy Orchid Program” from the “Distribution” field. You can also contact the AOS directly at TheAOS@aos.org, or call 305-740-2010 for more info. Hybrids available include Cattleyas, Cymbidiums, Phals, Paphs, Catasetums, and more. This is a limited time offer. And just in case you can’t think of a good name, I’ll suggest that Cattleya Marc Cohen would sound really great.

This elegant Lady Slipper reliably graces me with a single bloom over autumn and winter. It sits high above its mottled leaves on a curving stem, and lasts as long as three months.

This year’s flower spike is 14 inches (36 cm) tall, and strong enough that the bloom doesn’t need staking. The rich colors are augmented by rich textures, as well. This is a bumpy, fuzzy flower. The stem is fuzzy, and the intricate bloom has hairs along the petals, lip, and staminode. The striking green stripes on the dorsal sepal (the top of the flower) aren’t just colors; they’re also raised lines. Reddish-purple spots on the petals are raised bumps. Everything about this bloom is elevated, curved, or fringed.

You can see the last time I gushed over this flower in this previous post.

Shows, sales, classes, and conferences fill this month’s calendar. Don’t miss these great orchid events.

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The IUCN Orchid Specialist Group does vital conservation work. IUCN stands for the International Union for Conservation of Nature, a global organization which strives to preserve nature and promote sustainable development. Thousands of experts volunteer their time to support IUCN’s projects, including the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The Red List scientifically assesses the extinction risk for plants, animals, and all living creatures. The Orchid Specialist Group (OSG) was first created in 1984 to focus on orchid conservation. Thousands of orchid species have been studied, and many are listed as endangered, close to extinction, or already extinct. Most orchid species still need to be surveyed.

Orchid experts can volunteer with the OSG by contacting them online. Everyone can enjoy their wonderful orchid photo gallery, newsletters, and informative info on their website. Their work is essential to save endangered orchids.

After a few warm, sunny autumn days, we’re delighting in indoor orchids. The first two photos show my Maxillaria marginata, a great intermediate grower. Its flowers are similar to its close relative the Coconut Orchid, but not as fragrant. Long stems hold them away from the plant, so they don’t get lost in the leaves like the Coconut Orchid’s shy blooms. I bought this plant about five years ago, and after figuring out its growing conditions, it’s become a reliable bloomer. Next are two photos of sunny Mexicoa flowers. This plant seemed to struggle after repotting last year, so I was relieved when a few of its lemon-scented flowers popped open.

The Spider Orchid features tall, skinny blooms with a spicy scent. This Brassia hybrid flowers frequently. I’m pretty sure it has the biggest orchid blooms I’ve ever grown, occasionally topping 14 inches (35.6 cm) tall. Finally, there are couple of pictures of a Phal hybrid rescued from Dave’s old office. It’s not fragrant, but it flowers almost all year long. It’s a fantastic orchid.

Orchid events span six continents in October. Don’t miss these opportunities to enjoy incredible flowers, take photos, buy plants, meet other orchid lovers, or learn from experts.

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China is a hotspot of botanical diversity, and that includes orchids. Many have been used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine, but are being threatened by habitat loss and overcollection. Dozens of species of Dendrobiums are among those collected from the wild. The dried plants are added into teas or soups to help a variety of ailments. As China’s orchids have become overcollected and rare, it’s importing them from neighboring countries.

Fortunately, China is starting to better conserve its orchids. In 2o21, the nation declared all 96 of its native Dendrobium species to be protected. It’s encouraging farmers to cultivate them in industrial greenhouses, or in native forest conditions, rather than collect wild plants. Challenges include enforcing new rules, and reversing the declines in orchid numbers. If China can balance traditional uses with conservation, it can be a model for other countries working to protect their native orchid species.