Vanilla has been in the news a lot lately, with skyrocketing prices contributing to crime problems in Madagascar. The BBC delves into the story, and explains what happens when vanilla costs almost as much as silver.
September brings busy orchid show schedules around the world, especially in South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. Can’t find a show near you? Check with your local orchid society for more info.
Vandas are orchid royalty. These popular tropical beauties have big, round, colorful, long-lasting flowers. Called strap-leaf Vandas, they are best known in the tropics. In places like Hawaii, it’s easy for growers to accommodate these large plants with long roots and high light needs by tying them onto a tree. Outside the tropics, they’re tougher to grow.
Their rainbow of colors includes blue, which is a rare orchid hue. They’re native to a vast area from India through South China, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, Indonesia, New Guinea, the Philippines, and northern Australia. The name Vanda comes from the Sanskrit name of Vanda tessellata, a species native to India and Southeast Asia.
Many varieties can grow into large plants. Vandas need morning sun, warmth, frequent waterings, fertilizer, and high humidity. They dislike being potted at all, so they’re often kept in small wooden or plastic baskets, without any potting media, simply to anchor the roots. Most are warm growers, but there are some intermediate types, also. Hybrids are usually more temperature tolerant.
As with all orchids, diversity is the rule. There are strap-leaf Vandas which don’t share the big, round, flat flower shape. Many hybrids have been created with related species. Some smaller varieties include a genus like Neofinetia or Ascocentrum in their names. Home growers without a greenhouse can fit these more compact plants on a windowsill. Large or small, Vandas bring tropical beauty wherever they grow.
Would you buy a beautiful orchid to support a great conservation group? Head to San Mateo, California on Saturday, August 25th for a sale benefiting the Orchid Conservation Alliance (OCA.) Some of the Bay Area’s most talented growers are donating plants to help the superb work of the OCA. If you can’t make it to San Mateo, you can support the OCA by becoming a member, shopping at their store, or joining one of their orchid vacations.
In a chilly, windy July rain, near a trail with a long name, in between glaciers with longer names, orchids bloom in southern Iceland. Orchids near the Arctic Circle? In fact, orchids live just about everywhere on earth, including Iceland, which is home to seven native species. Two of them are shown here. The Heath Spotted Orchid has purple and white flowers, and the Vanilla Scented Bog Orchid has yellow flowers. My amazing mother-in-law Brenda took these great photos during a recent hiking tour in Iceland.
Two rows of photos above show the Heath Spotted Orchid, a terrestrial found in damp areas in Iceland, throughout Europe, and even into Siberia. The first row of photos shows one plant, and the second row shows another. Look closely to see how the purple spots and patches differ between the two, which happens a lot in this variable species.
The third row of photos below shows a Vanilla Scented Bog Orchid. This species is native to eastern Canada, Greenland, Iceland, northern Europe, and northern Russia. It’s reputed to have a sweet scent, and it also grows in cool, damp areas.
The final row of photos shows another orchid habitat view, and then two guide illustrations of other Icelandic species, the Frog Orchid and the Northern Green Orchid. All of these remarkable plants are the tough polar cousins of the tropical ones we know better. Whatever they lack in size or glamour, their ability to survive in a cold, harsh climate marks Icelandic orchids as true stars of the flower world. Photos courtesy of Brenda Hogue.
Western Australia’s south coast is suffering through an exceptionally dry winter, but some rare native orchids are thriving anyway. Local orchid lovers are finding Queen of Sheba Orchids and other fascinating Australian natives despite the drought. With underground tubers to store water, these little terrestrials can handle some adversity. Orchid enthusiast Robert Tozer noted “Only about a week or so ago I found these little Dark Banded Greenhoods growing on ground I would compare to a concrete floor. It was rock hard and yet this little orchid has come up and is still flowering. They are pretty solid and pretty resilient.”
From Auckland to Zululand, there are orchid shows, festivals, fairs, auctions, extravaganzas, and spectaculars. Go to any one of them and enjoy gorgeous flowers.
San Francisco’s recent summer orchid show featured plenty of incredible sights. These photos highlight some amazing flowers on the strange fringes of the orchid family. They also demonstrate that no other flowering plant family can hold a candle to the astounding diversity of orchids. If we didn’t know better, would anybody guess that these organisms are related at all? It’s a boggling concept, yet they were all under one roof at Orchids in the Park. Find the first set of photos from the show here, and stay tuned for more as I continue to sort through our pictures.
Last weekend’s Orchids in the Park was another success. San Francisco’s summer orchid show featured great display tables, vendors, talks by experts, and more. This first set of photos just hints at the show’s riches. I’ve been growing and studying orchids for over two decades, and I can still reliably find fascinating colors, shapes, and fragrances at this show that are new to me. Check back soon to see more of our finds.
Lovers of North American native orchids won’t want to miss the Native Orchid Conference. This year’s event is happening July 26-30 at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center in Edgewater, Maryland. The annual conference features lectures and field trips to see native orchids in the wild.
Online, you can find Everything You Need to Know About North American Native Orchids at Gardenista. The article includes great photos and conservation info, too.
