This is the busiest month of orchid events since the pandemic began. More in-person shows are including health precautions, like mask requirements, in their publicity. There are still others which fail to do that, but they’re not listed here. Miami’s big annual show is a welcome return this month.
In Defense of Plants explains why Catasetum orchids really stand out. They have fascinating flowers, but unlike most orchids, these beauties have different male and female blooms. This puzzled botanists long ago, who thought that they were separate species. It was the famous scientist Charles Darwin who finally resolved the confusion. Darwin studied how the male flowers launch their pollen at bees which have tripped a trigger. Attached to a small disk of glue, the pollen flies out and sticks to the bee, ready to be carried to another blossom.
Some Catasetum varieties have symbiotic relationships with ants, which live within their old pseudobulbs. The ants help protect the plants from being eaten, and also fertilize the orchids. Native to Central and South American jungles, Catasetums are closely related to Clowesias, Cycnoches, and Mormodes. They’re deciduous, dropping their leaves in the tropical dry season, and growing new ones as rains return.
To learn more about these extraordinary species and their stunning hybrids, also check out Catasetinae.com. The website includes lots of photos and culture information.
A long time ago, when I moved to California from the East Coast, I thought it was spring all the time. Part of my culture shock was learning that the seasons were different here. Around Philadelphia where I grew up, we had hot, humid summers, and cold, snowy winters. In contrast, San Francisco summers are mild and foggy, spring and autumn are warm, and winters are cool and rainy. But no matter the weather or location, today is the equinox everywhere. Day and night are balanced at 12 hours each, for a very brief time. From the equator to the poles, it’s the same. To celebrate this rare moment of global unity, enjoy this eclectic mix of orchids. Most of these photos are from shows, but a few are from my own garden. Happy Equinox.
If you love Lady Slippers, then the Slipper Orchid Alliance (SOA) is for you. This non-profit group is dedicated to conserving these incredible flowers, and educating everyone about them. Lady Slippers have a pouch, and include Paphs, Phrags, Cyps, Mexipediums, and Selenipediums. The SOA offers photo galleries, culture sheets, and a quarterly journal. Members can choose to receive the “Slipper Orchid” journal online or in print. It features informative articles, news, book reviews, and lots of great photos. Join the SOA to feed your Slipper Orchid addiction.
The American Orchid Society (AOS) has launched the Orchid Marketplace. This new service connects everyone with the world’s top vendors for orchids, supplies, books, greenhouses, and even jewelry. It’s all in one place, with direct links to vendor sites. AOS members save a minimum of 5% on all purchases, and may save more with added discounts and coupons. The Orchid Marketplace is searchable by plant variety, location, product, or specialty. Scroll down the bottom of the page to subscribe to Orchid DealWire for weekly updates on sales, events, product announcements, and news. If you’re not already an AOS member, the discounts are another great reason to join.
Blue is a rare floral color, but the vast orchid family doesn’t disappoint, so it is possible to find true blue orchids. Some feature brilliant tones, while others have subtle hues. There are also imposters. Blue Moth Orchids in the supermarket are actually white blooms which are injected with dye. Many orchid varieties with “blue” in their names are purple instead (that’s also true for other cultivated plant families where blue flowers are uncommon.) Vandas definitely take the blue orchid crown. There are two blue species, Vanda coerulea and Vanda coerulescens, shown in the first row of photos above. A few of the numerous blue hybrids are shown in the next row below.
There are other true blue orchid varieties. Two pictures in the row above show small, light blue flowers in the Cleisocentron genus, which are miniatures from Southeast Asia. I’ve never had the privilege to see Australia’s dazzling Blue Sun Orchids or Blue Caladenias, or South Africa’s Blue Disas. Without my own photos, I can’t pay them proper tribute here, but they certainly boast stunning shades. They’re not often grown outside of their native countries, and best suited for expert growers.
The orchids shown below have “blue,” “sapphire,” or “coerulea” in their names, but except for the first photo in the next row, I think they’re more purple. That first photo is a Dendrobium hybrid which includes the bluish-purple Dendrobium victoriae-reginae in its parentage. It illustrates how breeders strive for that elusive color of sea and sky. Their efforts guarantee more true blue orchids.
Here are this month’s events with COVID19 precautions. It’s a good idea to double-check with the local orchid society before attending in case of last-minute cancellations.
Many orchid species are scientifically discovered each year. For example, botanists have recently named three new Lepanthes from the Ecuadorean Andes, one of the richest orchid habitats on the planet. Lepanthes is a genus of pleurothallids with over 1000 species. They’re miniatures with tiny but colorful flowers. The plants have been named Lepanthes oro-lojaensis, Lepanthes microprosartima, and Lepanthes caranqui. The scientists asserted that “They are proof that Ecuador — one of the world’s megadiverse countries — hides much more biodiversity waiting to be explored.”
Summers on the Northern California coast are typically cool and foggy, and this year has been no exception. That allows us to revel in cool-growing Cymbidium, Epidendrum, and Masdevallia orchids, as well as other plants like fuchsias, poppies, and nasturtiums. Their bright colors stand out against the green background, enticing bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and humans.
Tending to our own little patch of nature is a great panacea for life’s stresses. When I’m in the garden, my focus turns to these floral gems, and my mind automatically shifts from worrying to wonder. It doesn’t solve many problems, but it certainly offers a mental reset that restores me. It’s so easy to get lost in the pain and suffering of the world, and our garden helps me find my way again.
Ecologist Jis Sebastian explains how orchids are useful tools to study climate change. Sebastian works in India’s Western Ghat Mountains. Many orchids live as air plants, or epiphytes, growing on tree trunks and branches. They thrive in mature, healthy forests. In the tree canopy, climate variations affect them quickly. The presence, or absence, of orchids can point to changes affecting the environment.
Orchids and similar epiphytic plants indicate a healthy ecosystem within each tree ecosystem. A great number of micro and macro-organisms work along with these plants within the canopy. A healthy canopy results in a healthy forest ecosystem.
Therefore, if orchids are protected, the mature trees that host orchids are also protected. As more mature trees are maintained in any ecosystem, it regulates the climate of the region, supports more biodiversity and ensures the ecosystem services are uninterrupted. Orchids may be used as flagship species like a tiger to protect the entire ecosystem.
Along with studying the Western Ghats’ orchids, Sebastian is encouraging scientific research and conservation in local communities. She’s also promoting farming practices which protect native ecosystems, and in turn help farmers increase their yields and survive extreme weather events.
Learn more about Sebastian’s conservation work in last year’s post, Fallen Flowers: Restoring Wild Orchids in India’s Western Ghats.
