San Francisco’s annual Pacific Orchid Expo is full of botanical riches. There are plenty of novel hybrids, extraordinary species, and awards for the best among them. It’s the cream of the crop.
Add in more colors than any rainbow, and some rich perfumes, and it’s easy to see why orchid lovers are so hooked. It’s a shame that the Pacific Orchid Expo only comes around once a year.
You can now buy first-class orchids at the post office. The US Postal Service has just released 10 new stamps featuring wild orchids. All the species represented are native to the USA. My photos show both sides of a 20-stamp booklet and the cover image.
There are nine orchid species depicted.
The first day of issue ceremony was held at the American Orchid Society Library at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Coral Gables, Florida on February 21st. When I bought stamps a few days later, they were obviously very popular, because our local post office was running low on them. Buy your orchids at the post office while supplies last.
As I was preparing March’s list, some events in East Asia were being cancelled over fears about coronavirus. Most significantly, the World Orchid Conference in Taiwan has been postponed. Around the world, dozens of other events this month are continuing, as of this writing.
The San Francisco Orchid Society puts on fantastic shows. This past weekend’s Pacific Orchid Expo was another great success, full of astounding blooms and friendly orchid lovers. It was also full of gasps of amazement as visitors saw how much more there is to the orchid world than standard grocery store varieties.
I came home with three plants and a book about Vandas. One of my orchid purchases was a red variety of Masdevallia coccinea, to add to the hot pink and sunny yellow cultivars of that species which bloom so well for me. It’s a small plant, so it may be a few years before it flowers. In the meantime, I certainly have many pictures from this year’s show to share. Check back here soon for more.
In the vast orchid family full of weird plants, Rhizanthellas stand out as among the weirdest. These Australian natives live their whole lives underground, and feed off fungi rather than photosynthesize. Their flowers occasionally break the surface, but usually out of sight in the dirt or leaf litter, so they’re really hard to find. But Missy the detection dog has a nose for these bizarre plants. In Barrington Tops National Park north of Sydney, Missy can sniff out the rare orchids in a few minutes, compared to humans who take 10 days to find them. Conservation groups hope that trained dogs will help them better understand and protect these fascinating orchids.
San Francisco’s big annual orchid show runs this weekend from February 21st – 23rd, and includes a special preview night on Thursday, February 20th. These photos from last year’s expo are just a small sample of what to expect. Over 150,000 orchids will be on display, alongside dozens of vendors, expert care demos, and kids’ activities. Buy tickets in advance or at the door, but don’t miss one of the most incredible orchid shows in the world!
In addition to the earlier listings here and here, more orchid exhibits are starting in New York City and Washington DC.
February 15 – April 19
Experience the Orchid Show: Jeff Leatham’s Kaleidoscope at the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx. Each gallery in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory creates “a different color experience and visual effect, like the turn of a kaleidoscope.”
February 28 – May 3
Discover the World of Orchids on the National Mall at the US Botanic Garden (USBG) in Washington DC. Enjoy thousands of magnificent orchid flowers, and celebrate USBG’s bicentennial year.
Orchids have become so favored as Valentine’s gifts that it’s now a common dilemma whether to keep the plant afterwards. Many think that orchids are impossible to grow, but with basic care info, common varieties are easy. The most popular are Moth Orchids, like those pictured in the photos above. Check out more tips about proper watering and good humidity to help your plant. With a little attention to its needs, your gift will stay in bloom longer, and bloom again, so you can enjoy it for years to come.
In my first post about RHS Garden Wisley, I focused on orchids, but there was certainly plenty more to enjoy. There’s only one more orchid in this post, a Stanhopea in the first picture. Stanhopeas are known for their bizarre but short-lived flowers, only lasting a few days. We certainly were lucky to find so many in bloom at the Wisley Glasshouse at the beginning of December.
The Glasshouse holds many more tropical, exotic blooms, but they had competition for our attention from plants with variegated leaves. Wisley’s displays featured foliage with spots, stripes, swirls, spirals, and veins in a rainbow of colors. I was especially impressed with the many variegated begonias. The Alpine Houses also showcased some variegated plants, including cyclamens with various fascinating patterns. They were great examples of how gardeners can enjoy beautiful hues without flowers.
This month features two of the world’s biggest orchid shows in Tokyo and San Francisco. Others are well-timed for Valentine’s Day gifts and activities. All these events are wonderful opportunities to enjoy amazing flowers.
