AboutOrchids

The most popular orchids sold today are Phals, or Moth Orchids. Since their blooms can last for months, and they grow in the same light and temperature ranges of our homes and offices, their popularity is easy to understand. It’s no wonder that orchid growers have concentrated their attentions on this genus, and created thousands of hybrids. Over the past few years, I’ve seen a great selection of smaller and smaller hybrids, perfectly suited for a windowsill, a crowded desk, or a city apartment. This mini Phal hardly takes up any space at all.

It’s too easy to rationalize bringing home more beautiful blooms when the entire plant is only 8 inches (20 cm) tall. These flowers are just 1.25  inches (3.2 cm) across. Their diminutive size belies how sturdy they are. Like their larger Phal cousins, it’s even possible to force these mini orchids to rebloom.

As promised, here are some additional photos from our trip to San Francisco’s Conservatory of Flowers. I’ll start with more warm growing orchids, like these 2 gorgeous Paphs, followed by 2 colorful members of the Oncidium family. Among its thousands of tropical plants and flowers, the Conservatory has a resident gecko population to help with pest control. These beautiful, un-eaten blooms are proof that the geckoes are on the job.

When we started to sweat in the displays with warm growing plants, it was great to step into the Highland Tropics Gallery to cool off. The Conservatory has a large collection of cool growing orchids, native to tropical mountain rainforests. These extraordinary members of the Masdevallia family enjoy the cool temperatures. Some are full of color, while others gleam in translucent white.

I’ve saved the strangest flowers for last. Among the more unusual blooms are 2 small, cool growing Masdevallia relatives. The first photo shows a tiny Scaphosepalum flower, seemingly in flight. The second photo may look like a fuzzy caterpillar, but it’s actually a group of miniature Stelis flowers. Finally, a large, weird (non-orchid) flower is known as the Bat Flower, or Cat’s Whiskers. They’re all part of the Conservatory’s remarkable displays.

This is just a partial list of orchid shows happening all over the world this month. They’re great opportunities to see lots of amazing flowers, meet other orchid enthusiasts, and talk to experts. Did I mention you can buy beautiful orchids for your own collection, too?

Millions of tourists visit San Francisco every year to see the sights, but since Golden Gate Park is across town from most hotels, a lot of people miss it. That’s a shame, because the park has plenty to see. The Conservatory of Flowers is a stunningly beautiful building, both inside and out. It’s a quick walk from the orchids at another shining jewel of the park, the Academy of Sciences. Built in 1878, the Conservatory is on the National Register of Historic Places. Its design was inspired by the Palm House at Kew Royal Botanic Gardens in London.

Among its thousands of rainforest plants spread between 5 exhibits, the Conservatory keeps lots of orchids on display. These Cattleya hybrids added bright colors and sweet scents during a recent visit.

Large Vanda flowers bloom in the Aquatic Plants Gallery, where the humidity is always high. The last 2 photos show Phal hybrids with plentiful blooms. In case these shots haven’t yet convinced you to visit Golden Gate Park, I’ll have even more Conservatory photos in another post soon.

National Geographic has published an orchid article and photo gallery with all the exceptional quality we’ve come to expect from that worthwhile organization. “Love and Lies” tells fascinating tales of the complex relationships that orchids have with their pollinators. The article explores how orchids “have managed to colonize six continents and virtually every conceivable terrestrial habitat, from the deserts of western Australia to the cloud forests of Central America, from the forest canopy to the underground, from remote Mediterranean mountaintops to living rooms, offices, and restaurants the world over.” Truth is stranger than fiction when it comes to orchid tactics to spread around their genes. Some have sweet scents to lure hungry butterflies and bees, but others have stinky smells to lure flies and gnats. Some orchids employ slingshots with pollen, while others reflect the blue Mediterranean sky to trick their pollinators. The picture gallery titled “Sneaky Orchids” is full of stunning floral photography. It includes many bizarre, rarely-seen Australian species, like the Flying Duck Orchid.

If you didn’t know better, you might think that these flower buds look like the very hungry plant Audrey II, from the classic film and musical Little Shop of Horrors. Fortunately, this orchid doesn’t have teeth and doesn’t eat people, so there’s no danger.

Once the buds open, these flowers lose their threatening facade, and look like bizarre insects in flight. They belong to the Swan Orchid, or Cycnoches. That’s easier to pronounce than it looks — it sounds like “sick NO keys,” with the emphasis on the “no.” The Swan Orchid nickname comes from the graceful shape of the flower “neck,” properly called the column. It’s easier to imagine the swan if you look at the flower upside-down.

These blooms last for over a month, and have a strong, spicy perfume. Many orchids go dormant for the winter, but Cycnoches is actually deciduous, with leaves that yellow and drop in the fall. At this point, the plant will quickly rot if overwatered. I water as seldom as once a month in the winter, but maintain good humidity. Watering and fertilizing resume when new spring growth is about 2-3 inches (5-8 cm) tall. This dormant cycle reflects the long dry season in the Swan Orchids’ tropical jungle homes, which are centered around the Amazon.

Some orchids are under attack by hornets, and that’s how they like it. According to the journal Current Biology, scientists have discovered that a Dendrobium species native to the Chinese island of Hainan uses an ingenious trick to attract hornet pollinators. Dendrobium sinense produces a chemical compound that mimics an “alarm pheromone,” a scent that bees emit when they are in distress. Predatory hornets think they’re finding a free lunch, and swoop in to attack the flower. Instead of lunch, however, they leave with orchid pollen attached to them. When they fall for the trick again, they transfer the pollen and pollinate the orchid.

Orchids have amazed scientists for years with the multitude of methods they have evolved to attract pollinators. Many use the tried-and-true floral method of offering nectar. Others, like Lady Slippers and Pterostylis, temporarily trap an insect and force it to exit past their pollen. Some species have chemical fragrances to fool insects into thinking they’re finding a mate. But this trick of luring in a predator has never been seen before. Undoubtedly, there are many more surprises to learn from the sneaky orchid family.

This little beauty belongs to the enormous Bulbophyllum genus of the orchid family. Its bright orange flowers have dark red spots that inspired its scientific name, Bulbophyllum pardalotum, which means spotted like a leopard. The small flowers are 3/4 inch (2 cm) across.

This species is native to the Philippines, where it’s a neighbor to this Oberonia on the island of Luzon. The flowers open during the day and close at night, and last about a week and a half.

The Bulbophyllum genus contains hundreds of fascinating and unusual species. Some are enormous, others microscopic. Many have bizarrely shaped flowers. This spotted species doesn’t have a scent, but some in the genus produce the smell of rotting meat to attract flies to pollinate them. Although these aren’t commonly offered for sale, it’s reason enough to check the fragrance of an orchid before you buy it.

Mini orchids have all the charms of larger plants, but you can fit a lot more of them in the same space. With small leaves and tiny flowers, this Oberonia certainly qualifies as a mini. Each flower is only the size of a grain of sand at 0.06 inches (1.5 mm.) I tried to count the flowers to see exactly how many there are, but I gave up before it gave me a headache. Let’s just say that there are dozens that encircle a thin, 4 inch (10 cm) flower spike.

Besides the fact that mini orchids are easy to fit in a city apartment, the flowers are fascinating in their own right. The densely packed blooms give the effect of a fuzzy orange cat’s tail. The individual flowers are tough to see without a magnifying glass. They sure put Dave’s photography skills to the test. Through the magic of his macro lens, you can see how beautiful they are up close.

This species of Oberonia is native to one small province on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. It needs regular water and high humidity. With light shade and warm temperatures, these miniature works of art bloom on a microscopic scale.

Good news is always welcome in the battle for orchid conservation. I was happy to see a story in a Virginia newspaper about changes made in a hospital’s construction to save a native orchid found on the grounds. The Small Whorled Pogonia is one of the rarest orchids in North America, ranging from Ontario and Maine south to Georgia. The building will be named after the endangered orchid, hopefully providing even more awareness of its plight. This may seem like an extreme measure for one plant, but as the article points out, protecting one plant’s habitat can help other endangered species also.

If you’re interested in learning more about orchids that are native to the USA and Canada, Wild Orchids Across North America is a great read, and has a chapter devoted to the Small Whorled Pogonia.