AboutOrchids

Celebrate today’s equinox with more photos from the recent Pacific Orchid Expo in San Francisco. As spring arrives in the northern half of the planet, after a winter of strong storms, our drought appears to be over in California. That’s great news. I’ve lived through several droughts during my 34 years in the Bay Area, and even when there’s enough water, it’s best not to be wasteful. Clean water should always be treated as a precious resource. Like the cycling seasons, the passing moments guarantee that the situation will change again. For now, however, it’s the start of a beautiful spring.

The Guardian reports on the New York Botanical Garden’s (NYBG) latest big exhibition, and also its efforts to rescue endangered orchids. Behind the scenes, there are orchids salvaged from the illegal plant trade. When stolen species are confiscated by customs officials, they are sent to botanical gardens like NYBG to be saved. The plants are often near death. Garden staff treat their pests and diseases, and try to bring them back to life. They don’t all survive, but many do. Other illegally-traded plants like cycads and succulents regularly arrive at the garden, too. Social media has amplified the problem, making it easier for poachers and buyers to find one another. It’s hoped that the beauty and charisma of these amazing orchids encourages people to support conservation, and to never buy illegally collected plants.

“I’ve never seen an orchid like that!” “How strange!” “That can’t be a real flower!” These exclamations were all overheard at the recent Pacific Orchid Expo. Fittingly, this year’s show theme was “Celebrating Diversity.” With tens of thousand of varied species, and hundreds of thousands of varied hybrids, the orchid family is surely a diversity champion.

All the photos in this post clearly demonstrate that range of differences, but especially the first two. In the first picture, there’s a rare, blooming Ghost Orchid, Dendrophylax lindenii. Its elegant white blossom was displayed inside a tall glass jar, and therefore tough to photograph, but it’s still the stuff of orchid dreams, as in The Orchid Thief. The second picture features a bizarre Dracula species, Dracula chestertonii ‘Quetzalcoatl’, which defies comparison to any plant sold in a supermarket or home improvement store. Its weird lip mimics a fungus to trick small insects into pollinating it. It certainly exemplifies orchid diversity. Check back soon for more from San Francisco’s big show.

March is a busy month, with orchid events all over the globe. The Santa Barbara show is one of the largest in the country, and is returning for the first time in three years. Other major shows are happening in Tainan City, Taiwan, Montreal, Canada, and Wisley, UK.

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There’s still one more day to enjoy San Francisco’s big orchid show. The Pacific Orchid Expo began on Thursday evening with a special preview event, and has been full of spectacular flowers and people since then. The show runs from 10:00 am until 4:00 pm today. These photos only represent a small sample of the stunning blooms on display and on sale. Don’t miss it!

If you’re in the San Francisco Bay Area, don’t miss Pacific Orchid Expo 2023, running from this Friday, February 24th until Sunday, February 26th. Also, catch the special Preview Night on Thursday, February 23rd. It all happens at the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park, 1199 9th Avenue at Lincoln Way. These photos from last year, with more here, here, and here, show only a tiny fraction of what to expect this year. There will be lots of vendors, expert orchid care advice, and activities for kids, too. Tickets are available beforehand for a discount, or at the door.

Many orchids stop you in your tracks with their colors and patterns. This orchid stops you in your tracks with its shape and scent. Rhyncholaelia digbyana has fabulous fringe on its lip, and a rich citrus perfume at night. I bought this plant eight years ago, mistakenly believing that it could live outdoors on the Northern California coast. Outside, it grew new leaves, but then they slowly dropped off. Left with a single, lonely leaf, I reluctantly found room for this large, mounted plant inside. After a few years indoors, it’s grown new leaves and a big mass of healthy, dangling roots. A few weeks ago, it finally put out a magnificent five inch (12.7 cm) flower.

No matter what angle you view it from, this flower is all about that fringe. The pale green bloom is fragrant at night with a citrus scent, like orange peel or lemon peel. It’s no surprise that this incredible species has been important in hybridizing. In fact, if you have a Cattleya hybrid with a fringed lip, Rhyncholaelia digbyana is almost certainly in its parentage.

This orchid is the national flower of Honduras, and is also native to Belize, Guatemala, and Mexico. Cultivating it requires Cattleya care, with morning sun and intermediate temps. Let it dry out well between thorough waterings. It can tolerate cool temps and dry air, but generally needs warmth and humidity to thrive. If you have space for a big, dramatic orchid, this species is a dazzling addition to any collection.

You can build orchids … with Legos! The beloved children’s toys aren’t just for kids anymore. All sorts of great designs are available, even Moth Orchids. They’ve become fun home and office decorations, often popping up in the backgrounds of Zoom calls.

In addition to orchids, botanical models include bonsais, succulents, and floral bouquets, all from a variety of manufacturers. Enjoy building your gardens. Click on the photos to learn more.

Orchids offer a great escape from a chilly winter. There are lots of in-person, online, and hybrid events to get excited about this month, including the always-spectacular Pacific Orchid Expo in San Francisco. There are also extended exhibitions in New York, London, Paris, and Washington DC.

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After years of drought, we don’t typically complain about rainy days in California. More than three weeks of storms, however, led to lots of complaints. From December 26th to January 19th, we received approximately 20 inches (50.8 cm) of precipitation, including a single day when we had over 5 inches (12.7 cm.) We also had winds over 60 mph (97 kph) on several days, and occasional hail. It’s made a dent in our drought, but also did some damage. Fortunately, the worst Dave and I had to endure was a 20-hour power outage, and a broken gutter. As for the orchids living outside, they fared surprisingly well. My Giant Hyacinth Orchid, which sits in the walkway outside the front door, is the first example. It started flowering before the storms, and wasn’t fazed at all by the powerful rains, winds, and hail. This reliable bloomer is a large plant with clusters of small flowers. It’s long, graceful leaves are sturdy, unbothered by the hailstones which pocked or tore other plants. It currently boasts about two dozen spikes, each with dozens of charming purple blooms.

Some of the Cymbidiums in the back garden did suffer damage, but are flowering anyway. A couple of them were already in bloom when the storms began. Those early blossoms are definitely beaten up, but still hanging on. Other plants were in spike, with fattening flower buds. Hail pitted their outer surfaces, so as they have opened, they’ve revealed their scars. Certainly my plants wouldn’t win any awards, but it’s impressive that they’ve survived at all. Their fortitude, in the face of Mother Nature’s extremes, clearly proves that these cool growers are not the fragile creations which many people imagine orchids to be.

The final photo shows a few of the remaining flowers on my Cochlioda. This miniature has already been blooming for months. The last few flowers are scratched and dented, but full of color. Now that the rains have paused, and the garden is drying, they’ve been able to shine in the Northern California sun again.