AboutOrchids

This year’s winter solstice arrives with darkness, cold, and a raging pandemic. I’m certainly ready to be rid of all three. The days will start lengthening tomorrow; if only there were such definite dates for the pandemic. Fortunately, vaccinations are starting. However many months we need to wait for ours, we will gladly get them when they’re available. In the meantime, these magical orchids are a great remedy for the winter blues. Most of these photos are from Dave’s trip to Singapore last year, when he saw Singapore’s National Orchid Garden and HortPark. The final three pictures are from our own California garden. Happy solstice and happy holidays, too.

The orchid-laden nation of Colombia has suffered a violent past. Colombian scientist Tatiana Arias hopes to use the country’s orchids to help keep the peace. In the last few years, a fragile peace treaty has ended six decades of violence between drug cartels and the government. Now, many rural areas need a reliable source of income. With over 4200 native orchid species, more than any other country, Colombians are rightly proud of their floral heritage. In fact, the national flower is Cattleya trianae. Arias, who earned her doctorate at the University of Missouri, wants to catalog and cultivate orchids to improve peoples’ lives. By turning to ecotourism and horticulture, she hopes to offer a stable economic future. It’s a massive endeavor, and will take years of work by her and many other scientists. Arias has support from the Colombian Orchid Society, and is making progress towards her grand goals.

The Nature Conservancy is working with groups like the North American Orchid Conservation Center to better understand and save endangered orchids. They’re studying orchids, their natural environments, their pollinators, their fungal partners, and the threats they face. With over 25,000 orchid species around the world, it’s a formidable task. In fact, there are more orchid species than there are mammal, bird, and reptile species combined. In addition to fascinating orchid tales, the article is adorned with wonderful orchid art. There’s also a great video profile of botanical artist Nirupa Rao, who is based in Bangalore, India. Check out the video below.

In Defense of Plants’ podcast explores the salep orchid trade. I’ve blogged before about salep, a traditional drink or dessert made with orchid tubers. It’s popular in Turkey, Greece, around the eastern Mediterranean, and other parts of the Middle East. Orchid tubers are made into flour, which is then turned into hot drinks, cold drinks, and even ice cream. Over 35 kinds of orchids are collected for the flour, including Orchis, Dactylorhiza, and Anacamptis species. Traditional harvesting practices have been sustainable for centuries, but increased commercial production has quickly become unsustainable. To get 2.2 pounds (1 kg) of flour, 2500 wild plants must be dug up. That’s about 13 plants in every cup of salep. As with all complicated problems, the solutions are complex, too. Scientists need to do studies of affected species, and educate the public about collecting wild plants. Existing conservation laws need better enforcement. Fortunately, there’s progress in the artificial cultivation of these orchids to start to take pressure off wild populations.

I love this gorgeous Mexican species, Laelia gouldiana, but our garden pests annoyingly love it, too. The first row of photos above shows happy, uneaten flowers from recent years. In contrast, the three rows of photos below show damaged flowers, the worst from this year, and some milder damage in 2016 and 2018. Whatever chomped through this year’s blooms did so while they were still buds, so they opened looking like Swiss cheese.

Generally, my natural pest remedies are remarkably effective at limiting damage. Our garden is a healthy ecosystem full of birds, spiders, raccoons, lizards, and other predators. I use non-toxic chemicals when necessary. However, these flowers seem to get munched more than most. This year, the bugs, or slugs, really did a number on them.

This species is native to the Mexican state of Hidalgo, but sadly is extinct in the wild. Fortunately it survives in cultivation. It’s considered as easy to grow as its close relative Laelia anceps. This cool grower can handle low humidity better than many orchid varieties. Like other members of the Cattleya family, Laelia gouldiana needs to dry out well between waterings, and wants morning sun to grow well. Maybe someday I’ll learn how to keep its blooms intact.

Want to take a magical orchid vacation without the hassles of travel? Settle in for three video tours from Botany Boy. China’s Sichuan province is one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots, and its fabled mountains are full of remarkable orchids. These videos include basic info about these spectacular wild beauties, so you’ll know what you’re looking at. The first two videos consist entirely of Lady Slippers. Bon voyage.

There’s a treasure trove of Central African orchids at www.Orchid-Africa.net. This growing database offers a look at some uncommon species, and it features lots of pictures. Central African orchids aren’t as well known as their relatives from Madagascar and South Africa, but they should be. They include captivating members of the Angraecum family, Bulbophyllums, Eulophias, Habenarias, Polystachyas, Vanillas, and much more. The database is being compiled by African and Belgian scientists to assist with conservation projects. They’re also growing thousands of Central African orchids in shadehouses in Gabon, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, and São Tomé. In addition to the valuable science they’re conducting, they’ve discovered over 40 new species from the area. Check out their related links, too, to explore fascinating African flora.

Bromeliads don’t have the fame and glamour of orchids, but they’re fascinating, beautiful, and easy to grow. Some have otherworldly flower spikes, with remarkable shapes reminiscent of exploding fireworks or fantastic creatures. Others have foliage with spectacular variegation that provides year-round color. Bromeliad flowers are often tiny and fleeting, but their stunningly colorful bracts can be large and durable. Most are denizens of tropical rainforests in Central and South America, living alongside orchids in the wild. Famous bromeliads include pineapples and Spanish Moss.

Some types called tank bromeliads have rosettes of overlapping leaves which hold water. There are varieties with spines along their leaf edges, and others which are succulent desert plants. Among the most popular bromeliads, Tillandsias are shown in the next three photos below. They’ve become popular houseplants, often simply called “air plants.” As epiphytes, they live up in the trees with orchids. They can be grown in pots or on mounts, or as bare plants living in a bowl or on a table.

I’ve tried to illustrate the wondrous diversity of the bromeliad family, but there really is so much more. About 3600 bromeliad species range throughout Central America, South America, and the southern USA, with one species native to West Africa. There are also many hybrids. The most commonly sold types need care similar to tropical orchids: mild temps, regular water, bright light, good humidity, and air movement. There are also cool growers, like this Billbergia tank bromeliad which lives outdoors all year in our Northern California garden. Its brilliant flowers stand out, even among the orchids.

Scientists have developed a new way to figure out which orchids are at risk of extinction. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species is the most comprehensive catalog of endangered plants and animals in the world. To be assessed, each species needs a thorough scientific study of its conservation status. However, the enormous orchid family contains almost 30,000 species, and only about 1400 have IUCN Red List assessments so far. Scientists have created an automated system using machine learning algorithms, also known as deep learning. They input existing studies, climate info, geography, and other traits to quickly study lots of orchids. So far, they’ve identified over 4300 varieties which are at risk. They’ve also pinpointed regions with lots of endangered species, including Madagascar, East Africa, and Southeast Asia. Their automated approach may be used for other plants and animals too, helping to direct conservation resources where they’re most needed.

This month, there are a few virtual orchid events, and two in-person events with clear COVID19 precautions.