September is a busy month for orchid shows around the world. Along with active schedules in Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, and South Africa, there are also shows far to the north in Sweden, Norway, and Lithuania.
Are they birds, planes, or alien spaceships? No, they’re just more photos from last month’s Orchids in the Park show in San Francisco. They include a few which are bizarre or otherworldly, and others which just don’t look like flowers. With fantastic shapes and brilliant colors, some seem to stretch the boundaries of what flowers can be.
Orchids in the Park is San Francisco’s smaller annual orchid show, dwarfed in comparison to the enormous Pacific Orchid Expo at the end of winter. Yet, even with fewer plants, there are always lots of spectacular orchids. In addition to previous posts about the show, and a very tiny Platystele bloom, these incredible flowers demonstrate how impressive any small orchid show can be.
Frozen inside ancient amber from Mexico and the Dominican Republic, tiny beetles are carrying orchid pollen. Their modern beetle relatives are not known to help pollinate any orchids, but 20-million-year-old amber proves that they once did. Some of the amber may be 45 million years old, stretching their connection back even further.
Check out the blog of nature writer and photographer Jon Dunn, featuring lots of great photos and stories of native British orchids in the wild. Some of his recent posts include “Epipactis Heaven and Helleborine”, “Orchids of the Highlands and Islands”, “To Bee or Not Too Bee”, and “Lady, Man, Monkey and Chimaera Orchids”, and many more from the British Isles. Though they’re not as brilliant as their tropical cousins, these native UK orchids are tough. Some even survive in Dunn’s home in Scotland’s chilly Shetland Islands, which is much better known for warm Shetland wool than for orchids. Dunn’s writings demonstrate his extensive knowledge of his wild photo subjects, which helps him find these remarkable orchids in unexpected places. Find more of his work at jondunn.com.
This isn’t just a miniature orchid — it’s a micro orchid! When we went to Orchids in the Park a couple weeks ago, nobody was expecting to see one of the tiniest orchid flowers in the world. Dave didn’t have his macro lens, but he did pretty well with his regular camera. This mini Platystele flower is only 0.1 inch (2.5 mm) across! For a little perspective, that’s about the size of a flea, or the head of a pin.
This Pleurothallid, Platystele jungermannioides, isn’t even as big as its name. For comparison, the entire plant is smaller than a US dime, which is about 0.7 inches (17 mm) across. This species was thought to have the tiniest orchid flowers, but a species with smaller flowers was discovered in 2006. This is certainly one of the tiniest orchid flowers Dave has ever photographed, and he’s tackled miniatures like Trichosalpinx and many more. Contrast these micro orchids with floral giants like a 9 inch (23 cm) PK or a 2 ½ foot (76 cm) Phrag, These size differences again demonstrate the incredible diversity of the orchid world.
Scientists are working to restore wild populations of Florida’s native orchids, including the famous Ghost Orchid. Seedlings grown in labs are being transplanted in the Everglades. So far, results have been promising, with many young plants surviving the move. For most of the year, these bizarre, leafless orchids are simply masses of roots attached to trees, sharing the swamps with alligators, mosquitoes, and leeches. But for a week or two in summer, they bloom with exquisite white flowers which seem to float in the air. Habitat destruction, poaching of wild plants, and pollution have decimated wild Ghost Orchid populations. Fortunately, restoration projects like this and the Million Orchid Project are bringing hope that these rare treasures can be saved.
I’ve found more great flowers from Orchids in the Park 2016. Fragrant orchids, mini orchids, jewel orchids and more filled the County Fair Building in Golden Gate Park. Moth Orchids and Lady Slippers abounded, too. Check back soon for more photos from this spectacular event.
Orchid shows, auctions, and conferences abound this month. From Canada to Brazil, from Australia to Sweden, these events provide opportunities to enjoy beautiful flowers, talk to orchid experts, take photos, and buy plants for your collection.
A British ghost haunts the forests. National Geographic details the reappearance of the bizarre Ghost Orchid (different than the famous Ghost Orchid native to Florida.) This spectral orchid, Epipogium aphyllum, only seems to show up in Britain once every few decades. It has no chlorophyll, but instead lives as a parasite on a fungus.
The Ghost Orchid is a rare phantom throughout its huge range from Europe across northern Asia. It’s known to appear once, and then never return to that spot again, leading to it occasionally being declared extinct. But instead of staying dead, it pops up decades later in a completely different location. Science writer Richard Fortey adds “Nothing I have read explains how a plant with such minute seeds can apparently jump so dramatically from place to place. There is something almost spooky about it.” Learn more about the Ghost Orchid here.
Orchids in the Park always bring incredible orchids to Golden Gate Park. This past weekend’s event featured both modern hybrids and spectacular, unusual species. Enjoy the photos from this dazzling show.
If this blog sometimes sound like a broken record about the endless diversity of the orchid family, these photos illustrate why. Even veteran orchid growers find surprising shapes and brilliant new color combinations at Orchids in the Park. The dozen examples shown here are only a drop in the bucket of this variety. I’m still sorting through our photos, and I’ll be featuring more of these beauties. Check back soon for additional pictures from this great weekend in Golden Gate Park.
