AboutOrchids

With the severe drought in California, I can’t complain about today’s chilly solstice rain in the SF Bay Area. However, I can find warm, tropical inspiration in these photos from our summer trip to London. No orchids this time — instead these feature the Waterlily House at Kew Gardens.

It’s tough to take a bad picture in the Waterlily House. This small, enchanting glasshouse feels warm and humid inside. It’s just a few steps from the much larger Palm House, and a short walk from the Princess of Wales Conservatory, where most of Kew’s orchids can be found. The Waterlily House centers around a large, shallow pool, full of lily pads and flowers. Algae-eating fish and a harmless black dye in the water stop algae problems. The black dye also creates beautiful glasshouse reflections on the water’s surface.

These brilliantly-hued flowers and fascinating aquatic plants are the epitome of tropical. There are also blooming plants around the perimeter of the pool, and enormous carnivorous pitcher plants hanging above. I’m sure that most of the flying insects which sneak through the doors on a warm summer day don’t get back out. Enjoy this tropical water lily paradise. I can still remember its warmth and sunshine.

Kiwi orchid lovers have a great new app to help them identify native New Zealand species. With over 1500 images, users can identify over 120 varieties. The app is available for both Android and Apple devices.

In the Indian state of Odisha, a new orchid project is starting. India is jumping into the commercial orchid market. Those are Den Phals in the article’s photos.

Are these blue Moth Orchids too good to be true? Well, yes, they are. There are no true blue Moth Orchids. Instead, these plants have white flowers which have been injected with dye. That info is contained somewhere on the label, but many people don’t spot it, and don’t realize that these aren’t what they seem. Some customers have felt cheated when the color fades on subsequent blooms, and eventually dims to white.

Dyed flowers are nothing new. Florists have long sold dyed cut flowers (I’ve even seen green roses and mums for St. Patrick’s Day!) The technology to inject dye into living orchid plants, however, has only been around for a few years. Other colors are used, too, but blue seems to be the most popular.

Many orchid lovers despise these artificial color flowers. Certainly, the criticism that this is “gilding the lily” seems fitting. Personally, I prefer more natural beauty, and less chemical tricks. But, to each their own. Meanwhile, orchid hybridizers and geneticists are racing to make true blue Moth Orchids. For now, these dye jobs are the only way to own one.

Following up on my earlier post about easy orchid species, here’s my list of easy cool growers. Unlike most orchid species, those listed below are as easy to grow as hybrids. Once again, this is not any sort of complete list, just a few that I know best. I’ve grown all of these varieties outdoors in the San Francisco Bay Area (although not all the plants in these photos are mine. A few are photos we took at orchid shows and botanical gardens.)

• Bletilla striata – Often sold in bulb catalogs alongside tulips and daffodils, the Chinese Ground Orchid (first photo below) usually has purple flowers. The pink bloom in the photo below is one of many pastel color forms.
  
• Brassia aurantiaca – Also known as Ada aurantiaca (second photo below,) this bright orange species from the Andes blooms reliably every winter.
• Dendrobium kingianum – This tough Australian native (third photo below) flowers with a honey fragrance, as long as it has sun and a dry winter dormancy.

• Dendrobium victoriae-reginae – This species (first photo below) is native to mountain jungles in the Philippines. Some varieties have a more blue hue.
• Epipactis gigantea – The Stream Orchid (second photo below) has the distinction of being an easy-to-grow orchid species which is native to western North America, from Canada south through the USA to Mexico.
• Laelia anceps – This sturdy Mexican native (third photo below) can handle hot temps as well as cool ones. Happy plants can bloom repeatedly during the year.

• Pleione formosana – Commonly called the Windowsill Orchid, this Chinese species (first photo below) needs a winter dormancy before it flowers. It can grow in rock gardens, alpine gardens, and seaside gardens.
• Sarcochilus hartmannii – This tough Australian species (second photo below) is a reliable bloomer. Each flower spike can boast dozens of sparkly white blossoms.
• Scaphosepalum verrucosum – This mini (third photo below) is one of the easiest Pleurothallids to grow. These small, yellow flowers can continue to open for months on end.

Even during a slow month for orchid shows, the events still span the globe. Many orchid societies also have holiday sales and auctions, so check with your local group for more orchid happenings.

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Sad news from Scientific American and the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: their update of 25 possibly extinct species includes a dozen orchids from Madagascar. Many of these species have not been seen for decades, and their native habitats have been destroyed.

As fellow air plants, bromeliads are natural orchid companions in the garden. Many tank bromeliads have fascinating blooms. They earn their nickname by holding water in their leaves, which helps them survive dry periods. This one grows in our garden, and its brilliant, hot pink flower spikes reveal small blooms that look like shiny, purple ribbons.

This tank bromeliad was a gift from our friend Kim many years ago. It’s been very happy in its new coastal home. We used to have it tied into the forked branches of a small tree, but it’s become much too big for that. Now it lives in a very wide flower pot, without any soil, fully exposed to the sun, wind, and salt spray. And it’s been blooming like crazy. We’ll separate it into smaller plants if it ever stops flowering.

The next photo below shows a smaller, younger version of this plant. The stiff, curved leaves are joined at the base and hold water. For that reason, if you’re in a mosquito-prone area, be cautious with tank bromeliads. With our cool climate, we don’t have much of a mosquito problem. Still, I check mine regularly by slowly filling a few tanks with water while I watch to see what floats to the top. I’ve never found any baby mosquito wrigglers yet. But the little purple and yellow flowers seem endless.

To learn more about bromeliads, check with Bromeliad Society International.

In the 1930s, amateur naturalist Edith Coleman solved an orchid puzzle that had perplexed Charles Darwin. Why are some orchids pollinated by only male insects?

Unlike tough orchid hybrids, many orchid species deserve their finicky reputations. They have exacting care needs, requiring precise temperatures, special potting, or purified water. Fortunately, there are some exceptions to the finicky orchid species rule. These easy warm growers and intermediate growers are great choices for orchid beginners. (I’ll highlight easy cool growers in a future post.)

Although these are known to be tough species, there are never any guarantees. They all need good humidity, and also light, water, fertilizer, temps, and repotting as appropriate for each variety.

• Arundina graminifolia – The Bamboo Orchid (first photo below) is so tough that it can be a weed in the tropics. It can grow large, but if you can provide warm, sunny conditions, it’s easy to bloom.
• Brassavola nodosa – This Cattleya relative (second photo below) has white flowers with a sweet scent. It grows best in sun and warmth, and needs winter dormancy.
• Cochleanthes amazonica – Warm, shady conditions and regular water will keep this Amazonian species happy (third photo below.)

• Ludisia discolor – Grown for its pink-striped leaves rather than its flowers, this jewel orchid likes warm, shady, humid conditions (first photo below.)
• Maxillariella tenuifolia – The Coconut Orchid (second photo below) earns its name from its sweet fragrance. Give it morning sun, regular water, and winter dormancy, and this intermediate grower will put out a burst of flowers annually.
• Spathoglottis plicata – The Philippine Ground Orchid (third photo below) is a popular landscape plant in the tropics, and it’s a reliable bloomer. It needs sun, warmth, fertilizer, and regular water.

This is definitely not a complete list, just a sampling of the ones I know best. There are many more easy species which are good for beginners. Ask local experts at a nearby orchid society meeting or show to find what grows best in your area.

Researching an orchid species’ native environment provides a better understanding of its care needs. Two of my favorite resources for that are the Internet Orchid Species Photo Encyclopedia and Orchid Species Culture. There’s lots of helpful info at both sites.

When buying orchid species, it’s very important to buy only from reputable vendors. NEVER buy plants taken from the wild. If you’re not sure, ask. One of my favorite vendors for orchid species is Andy’s Orchids, which is based in Encinitas, California.

As I mentioned, I’ll do a future post for easy cool growing species soon. Stay tuned!