AboutOrchids

National Geographic reports on important discoveries about Florida’s famous Ghost Orchids. Scientists and photographers have found that they aren’t just pollinated by one species of moth, but by several different species. That’s good for the strange and fascinating leafless orchids, which are very endangered. After spending thousands of hours taking photos at the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, they observed that Ghost Orchids use at least five moth varieties for pollination. That means they’re not as vulnerable if some of the moths go extinct. There has been progress in conserving Ghost Orchids. Lab-grown plants are helping to replenish wild populations, and anti-poaching measures have had success. Check out amazing Ghost Orchids in the video below —

Mark your calendars for Orchids in the Park next weekend! These photos from last year’s event are just a small taste of what to expect. In addition to the show, there will be vendors from around the world, orchid care classes, and a class on botanical illustration. Orchids in the Park takes place July 20th – 21st in Golden Gate Park’s County Fair Building, at 9th Avenue and Lincoln Way. Buy discount tickets online in advance, or pay regular price at the door. Don’t miss it!

The Sixth Scientific Conference on Andean Orchids takes place next month from August 6th – 8th. Experts from around the world will gather in Medellín, Colombia, to discuss the latest advances in orchid science. The conference will offer simultaneous translations between English and Spanish. This event is in conjunction with the Orchids, Flowers and Crafts Exhibition at the Joaquín Antonio Uribe Botanical Garden in Medellín, which runs from August 6th – 11th.

Sadly, I lost this beautiful Dendrobium victoriae-reginae, or Queen Victoria’s Dendrobium, in a heat wave. I blogged about this plant a few years ago. Living outdoors, it’s been a tough orchid and a reliable bloomer, surviving numerous travails to flower again. But during a heat wave that went up to 95°F (35°C) over several days, I mistakenly didn’t water and mist it enough. Since it grew on a mount, not in a pot, it was extra susceptible to drying out, and it fried.

The same heat wave left some of my Masdevallias with sunburned leaves, too. Fortunately, those plants didn’t suffer as much and have survived. This Dendrobium wasn’t so lucky. Native to high elevations in the Philippines, some varieties of this species have striking blue flowers, but mine was more purple than blue. It was named in honor of Queen Victoria.

It’s another disturbing reminder that worsening climate change will make this happen more often. With our plentiful fog and mild temperatures, the Northern California coast has been a great place to grow cool and intermediate orchids outdoors. But our infrequent heat waves have become hotter and longer-lasting. San Francisco Bay Area residents often assume that Pacifica is so close to the chilly ocean that we’re immune, but that’s not the case. We can heat up just as badly.

The orchid show schedule slows down in the Northern Hemisphere’s summer heat, but it picks up in Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, and South Africa. Golden Gate Park hosts San Francisco’s annual summer show, Orchids in the Park. Don’t miss these great events!

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Want to live longer? Try gardening! Many of the world’s oldest living people are gardeners. In Earth’s “blue zones” where people live the longest, many of them garden into their 80’s and 90’s. Of course, fresh air and exercise are very beneficial, and homegrown fruits and vegetables can improve diets, too. Scientific studies have shown that gardening reduces stress, lowers blood pressure, and makes people happier. It may lessen risks for dementia, diabetes, and heart diseases. Gardening is a great way to add to the quality of life, and maybe even live to 100.

Celebrate today’s summer solstice with this wonderful Irish Marsh Orchid, blooming last week in County Kerry. This species is native only to the Emerald Isle. In the Irish language, it’s called Magairlin gaelach. The intense colors and spotted patterns on the flower lip rival the showiness of many better-known tropical cousins. These European terrestrial species can be tricky to identify, but fortunately, orchid expert friends helped me name it. Happy solstice to all. Photos courtesy of Brenda Hogue.

Life is great on the Northern California coast, but it can be tough for plants. Strong winds and chilly fog can be big challenges for our garden. Fortunately, the vast and diverse orchid family provides lots of choices. Here are three tenacious orchids that are happily living just 1/3 mile (0.5 km) from the ocean. The first four photos show a large Coelogyne species, Coelogyne mooreana, which is native to high mountains in Vietnam. It’s bloomed well for years. I repotted it a few months ago, and assumed it wouldn’t flower this year. Surprisingly, it’s put out dozens of fragrant, snowy white blossoms with golden yellow flower lips.

The next four photos show a miniature orchid with a name that’s bigger than the plant itself, Epidendrum melanogastropodium. Native to high elevations in the Andes, its flowers hang down like tiny bunches of colorful grapes. Despite their fragile appearance, these blooms have lasted more than a month already, even enduring a recent heat wave.

The last four photos show Masdevallia coriacea. Unlike most Masdevallias, which prefer shade, this mini species likes some direct sun, so I keep it in an exposed location. It has a slight methane-like scent, but fortunately, it lives outdoors. Like the mini Epidendrum, it’s native to lofty elevations in the Andes. All three of these orchids use their high-altitude toughness to thrive on our cool, foggy coast.

Find hybrid orchid family trees at OrchidRoots.com. This website compiles information about orchid species, hybrids, and hybrid parents. Searches can be done by looking for a named variety or browsing through genus lists. Hybridizers used to need to consult multiple volumes of The Sanders List of Orchid Hybrids for this data, until paid software offered digitized records. Now, everyone can find free listings with photos and culture information, when available, at OrchidRoots.com. For example, searching for Epicattleya Veitchii yields a page with four pictures of the hybrid and three pictures of each of its parents. It also links to two hybrids descended from Epicattleya Veitchii.

Check my earlier post for info about understanding orchid hybrid names. And visit OrchidRoots.com to dive into the orchid family tree.

National Geographic Wild has captured extraordinary footage of Bucket Orchids and bees. Coryanthes, or Bucket Orchids, have evolved intricate traps, complete with scented lures and dripping faucets, to detain their pollinators. While trying to gather the flower’s fragrant oils, the bees slip into a bucket of liquid, and can only escape by squeezing past the pollen. Watch this remarkable apparatus at work in the video below —