AboutOrchids

Atlas Obscura delves into a century of scientific advances which brought tropical orchids to your local grocery store. At the start of the 1900’s, growers began to unravel the secrets of how to germinate orchid seed, such as the essential role of fungi. Biologists started to clone orchids in the 1950’s, which would transform the industry in coming years. By the 1970’s, Dutch and American researchers were discovering that Moth Orchids made the perfect houseplants. Decades of continuing progress in hybridizing and science have helped bring down prices, and made Moth Orchids the most popular potted plants in the USA.

From Mexico City to Kansas City to Nairobi to Emu Plains, Australia, orchids are loved around the globe. Check out these great events happening everywhere in their honor.

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Head to San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park for the Dracula Ball at the Conservatory of Flowers on Thursday, October 18th. This elegant dinner event with limited tickets will benefit the Conservatory and its collection of rare orchids, including Draculas. Guests will enjoy a program from Ron Gagliardo, chief horticulturist at the dazzling new Seattle Spheres. Buy tickets before they’re gone!

Enjoy these amazing orchids for today’s equinox. Autumn is usually the warmest time of year for us on the Northern California coast. The fog pulls back, and we can finally bask in the sun that’s been baking everyone else. Last year, that meant record-breaking heatwaves in September. This year, so far, it’s been milder. We can enjoy the pleasant weather as we pass the point of equal day and equal night, and the planet spirals on.

Now that vanilla beans cost as much as silver, the world’s most delicious orchid is in the news a lot, and scientists are investigating the possibilities of vanilla farms in South Florida. Since vanilla is a vine that climbs trees, it could be “co-cropped” in avocado, citrus, or nut orchards. Farmers could harvest the beans without need for any more land. It’s also an opportunity to do much-needed research into Florida’s endangered native vanilla species. These are not used for agriculture, but might be hybridized with edible vanilla to create new flavor profiles and better hardiness. It will require many years before research makes it a viable crop, but Florida farms may someday be harvesting vanilla.

Big flowers get more attention, but don’t overlook the little ones. They may be tiny, or downright tough to see, but small orchid flowers are just as intricate and fascinating as showier blooms. These photos from July’s Orchids in the Park event highlight a few of their marvels.

Dave’s and my cameras can compensate a lot for tiny blossoms and farsighted eyes. Often, I don’t see flower details until later, when I’m looking at large digital images on my computer. Small blooms can come from big plants, but most are mini orchids, like the three Pleurothallids in the next row of photos.

See more photos from Orchids in the Park, with big and small flowers, in my previous posts here and here. Below, the final row of pictures shows three color variations of Dendrobium cuthbertsonii, a charming miniature that comes in many brilliant hues. This cool grower boasts blooms over an inch (2.5 cm) which dwarf its tiny leaves. No matter how little, it’s tough to overlook these gems.

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.

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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.