AboutOrchids

With a chilly rain here on the California coast, and more storms in the forecast, these orchids are perfect for inspiring warm thoughts. Enjoy a few more photos from our visit to Vallarta Botanical Gardens in Mexico last winter.

With blooms in every hue, rich perfumes, and amazing flower shapes, these orchids are embodiments of the word tropical. Vallarta Botanical Gardens is just outside Puerto Vallarta. It’s full of both native and exotic species, and always worth a visit.

Begin the new year with orchids! From Tokyo to Miami, from Portugal to Minnesota, orchid shows let you enjoy stunning flowers in any language.

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Orchids are the opening act in this Smithsonian podcast about trickery. Many different orchids have become masters of disguise to attract pollinators. These include Hammer Orchids and Bulbophyllums, which mess with some insect minds to improve their pollination odds. Just as importantly, orchids have enlisted human help. Listen to learn more —

Today’s winter solstice brings the darkest time of the year. Short days with a weak sun hardly seem like a time for flowers. But there’s always joy and beauty to be found, and even on the darkest days, there are orchids blooming. Enjoy these stunning examples from last winter’s Pacific Orchid Expo.

Orchid lovers know that many tropical varieties bloom over winter, corresponding to their own dormant seasons. How welcome these exotic blossoms are, especially when light and warmth seem far away.

As most life rests in the darkness, it hasn’t disappeared. It only waits for the next chance for growth. Orchids which choose to flower now are emblematic of the life that always remains, and the light that will return.

As winter’s chill arrives, this brilliant tropical Cattleya is inspiring lots of warm thoughts in our home. It’s been boasting vivid purple and white blooms for over a month. In addition to their stunning colors, they emit a sweet, spicy fragrance.

It’s no wonder that Cattleyas have been favorite corsage orchids for decades. Along with their captivating hues and rich scents, many varieties have fascinating wavy, fringed petals, especially on the flower lip. The undulating edges on these eye-catching blooms add interest and allure.

This hybrid is Laeliocattleya Nice Holiday ‘Suntopia’ HCC/AOS. A complicated name like that provides a good chance for a refresher on deciphering orchid nametags. The first word, Laeliocattleya, is a combination of the genus names Laelia and Cattleya. The hybrid name is Nice Holiday, and the cultivar name is ‘Suntopia’. This cultivar has earned a Highly Commended Certificate from the American Orchid Society, and that award becomes part of the plant name, too, as HCC/AOS. All together, it’s a lot of syllables to describe Cattleya charms.

It’s easier than ever to give orchids for the holidays with Orchids magazine. The award-winning monthly is better than ever, and it’s just one of many benefits of an American Orchid Society (AOS) membership. The magazine’s stunning, high-quality flower photos are reason enough to subscribe. Each issue also includes expert info and articles from every corner of the orchid world. See the improvements for yourself by downloading a free issue of Orchids. Current AOS members will receive an extra month on their own subscriptions when they give a membership to somebody else before December 31st.

New Zealand’s native orchids are not big and showy like their tropical cousins, but they sure can inspire an orchid obsession. The article includes half a dozen photos of native species at Orokonui Ecosanctuary.

The Chinese artistic theme of the Four Gentlemen refers to four plants, including an orchid. Recently, while Dave and I were enjoying dinner at a local restaurant, I spotted a nearby flowerpot illustrating the Four Gentlemen. I can’t read Chinese, so I don’t know what the writing says, but I recognized each plant. The first row of photos depicts one side of the flowerpot. It features a centuries-old Chinese style of painting Cymbidium orchids with long, graceful leaves. The second photo zooms in on the flowers, and the third photo shows the smaller leaves and roots.

The Four Gentlemen, also called the Four Noble Ones, are orchid, bamboo, plum, and chrysanthemum. For over a thousand years, Asian artists have drawn this quartet. Each symbolizes a season, as well as human moral qualities. Orchids represent spring, and also nobility, elegance, integrity, and friendship. There are many orchid species native to East Asia, but this artistic genre usually portrays small, fragrant Cymbidiums. The traditional painting style emphasizes their arching leaves instead of their flowers. Each leaf is drawn with a single brushstroke, done with the same precision and artistry as Chinese calligraphy. The next two photos below show modern cultivars of the types typically drawn in this style. The third photo depicts orchid leaves and flower buds on the flowerpot.

The final pictures feature the other three sides of the flowerpot with the other three gentlemen. There’s a bamboo for summer, mums for autumn, and a flowering plum for winter.

The Four Gentlemen have long been woven into Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese painting and pottery. In fact, Mahjong players may recognize this group, since the Four Gentlemen are often seen on the game’s flower tiles. For more info, check out The Garden Plants of China, which has a lot on the histories of traditional orchids and other popular varieties.

The slowest month of the year for orchid shows still features events on three continents. Many orchid societies also have holiday sales and auctions this month, so check with your local group for more.

As the BBC reports, chikanda is a traditional food in parts of Zambia and Tanzania, made from the tubers of local orchids. These tubers look like little potatoes. They are cooked with peanuts and chilies into savory cakes resembling meatloaf, and called chikanda. Swedish botanist Sarina Veldman has been studying the DNA of tubers for sale in African markets, and has found over 80 different species. These include many different types of Disa, Habenaria, and Satyrium orchids. Unfortunately, increasing commercial demand and habitat loss are endangering these local orchids. As collectors go farther, neighboring countries are also losing many of their native terrestrial species. Veldman and other scientists are hoping that sustainable practices, like bringing the orchids into cultivation, will reduce pressures on wild plants. Some steps have already been taken, such as the creation of Kitulo National Park in Tanzania, which protects an area of rich botanical diversity known as the “Serengeti of Flowers.” Scientists and local peoples will need to work together to find more solutions to conserve these fascinating orchids and this popular snack food.