AboutOrchids

Mysta-what? With a name bigger than its tiny white flowers, this mini orchid doesn’t look tough. However, looks can be deceiving. Despite its delicate facade, this species survives attached to thorny Acacia trees in the heat of South Africa’s savannas, where few other orchids can live. It can also handle light winter frosts. This toughness helps to make it one of South Africa’s most common orchids.

Each crystal white Mystacidium flower features a long nectar spur, and emits a sweet jasmine scent from dusk into evening. Yellow pollen masses provide the only spot of color in the middle of each bloom. Flowers can last for weeks over spring or summer.

To pronounce Mystacidium, say “mis-tah-SID-ee-um”. To grow Mystacidiums, give them a warm, muggy summer and a cool, dry winter. During summer, I water mine regularly, but in winter, it’s happy with just a daily misting. They enjoy some morning sun, but need shade for most of the day. Like their Vanda and Angraecum relatives, Mystacidiums prefer to grow mounted, not potted. This also serves to keep their thick roots in view, the easier to enjoy their unusual, linear white spot patterns.

Besides growing on Acacias and other succulent trees, these orchids can be weeds in South African citrus farms. As air plants, they don’t harm the trees, but masses of mini Mystacidiums can coat orange tree branches and trunks. Citrus farmers may be the only ones who don’t enjoy the sweet scent of these tough little orchids.

Orchid lovers are searching for ghosts in Florida’s swamps. Summer is Ghost Orchid season, with spectral flowers betraying the locations of these strange, leafless air plants. Made famous by the bestselling book The Orchid Thief and acclaimed movie Adaptation, Ghost Orchids have a fanatic following. Southwest Florida’s News-Press has an article and two swampy videos showing a little of what people go through to see them in the wild. Since it’s only the beginning of the blooming season, expect more ghostly apparitions in coming months.

Orchid lovers in North America have scant July pickings, with events happening only in Santa Barbara, Baton Rouge, and Oakland. In the Southern Hemisphere, however, Australia, New Zealand, and Brazil have plenty of shows to offer.

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Orchid care changes with the seasons. On top of summer’s warmth, the sun is highest in the sky and hours of daylight are at a maximum. Even on cloudy days, plants are working overtime to photosynthesize.

• On top of your regular watering schedule, water more during periods of active growth, warm weather, or windy conditions. Check these helpful orchid watering tips for more info. Lady slippers, Masdevallias, Miltonias, Odonts, Vandas, and Cymbidiums will enjoy daily soakings.
• Move orchids to shade on really hot days. For most types, high temps are fine as long as humidity is high, too. Even cool growers like Masdevallias can tolerate a short heat wave with enough shade and humid air.
• Fertilizing weakly, weekly is best. Compost can also be a great growth booster.
• Give orchids a summer vacation outdoors if growing conditions permit.
• Pests may thrive in summer heat. Try beneficial insects or carnivorous plants. If pesticides are necessary, try natural, biodegradable products like Neem Oil or rubbing alcohol/surgical spirits.

If orchids could read blog posts, I might be suspicious of this Rhynchostele. I complained online that it hadn’t bloomed in 6 years, and a few days later, a pair of new flowers appeared. You can find it noted last in the list at Outdoor Orchids in San Francisco, part 1 under the name Lemboglossum. That’s its old name, and the name I know it by. Name changes, however, are better suited for a future post in the Orchid Names category.

This species grows at high elevations in Mexico and Guatemala, and doesn’t like temps above 80°F (27°C.) It needs bright light with some full sun, regular water, and winter dormancy.

I can’t figure out why mine chose this year to bloom after a 6 year hiatus. Species like this can be much more finicky than hybrids. Maybe this past mild winter suited it better. As long as it survives and occasionally blooms, I still have chances to figure it out.

As for that new name, Rhynchostele, I believe it’s pronounced “rink oh STEE lee.” No matter what it’s called, if it reads another blog post, I’ll be sure to let you know.

San Francisco often welcomes the summer solstice with a cool fog, but today’s warm and sunny weather feels more in line with the beginning of the season. The most northerly trek of the sun has been noted throughout human history in every corner of the world. Whether you’re enjoying long hours of sunlight, or marking the shortest day of the year down under, you’re participating in a global act. Few events so routinely unite all people everywhere, if only for a brief moment. Summer’s potential awaits.

Who doesn’t love a summer vacation? Orchids sure do. Many growers move plants outdoors to take advantage of pleasant summer weather. Orchids which have been kept indoors will thrive with fresh air and invigorating rain showers. Here are a few tips to help plan an orchid summer vacation. Bon voyage!

• Move plants into a shady outdoor spot for 2 weeks. Outdoors, the plants will receive much more light than indoors, and need a period of adjustment. Even sun lovers like Cattleyas, Cymbidiums, and Vandas can burn if they’re not given time to acclimate. Phals, Paphs, and Masdevallias should stay in the shade, but you can gradually move others into brighter light.
• Most orchids will require a new watering schedule while living outdoors. With more light and air movement, they’ll dry out faster, and need more frequent soakings. Orchids which stay on the dry side, like Cattleyas, must have protection during extended rainy periods.
• Orchid growers in dry or desert climates face an extra challenge to find a humid outdoor area for their plants. If you can’t, keep them indoors where high humidity can be maintained. Take advantage of any summer rains for quick outdoor trips.
• Track the nightly minimum temperatures in your location. Warm growers like Phals and Vandas need to stay above 65°F (18°C,) and should be brought back indoors if weather forecasts call for temps below that.
• Bugs are inevitable outside, but before you reach for a toxic insecticide, consider letting beneficial insects tackle the job. Ladybugs, dragonflies, and spiders all work for free, but can’t survive deadly chemicals.
• Wind, rain, and pests can damage flowers, so many growers bring blooming plants indoors. Check for insects before plants come back inside.

Dave’s parents keep a beautiful garden at their home in Western Pennsylvania. Certainly, their cold winters aren’t very conducive for orchids, but there’s no shortage of other stunning plants. We visited earlier this month, which was the perfect time to enjoy brilliant blooms and new spring growth.

With a great spring display, it’s easy to see why Mountain Laurel is Pennsylvania’s state flower. Its masses of bright pink buds look like pieces of candy, but then open into elegant white blooms. From another area of the garden, a mini conifer seems to float on a sea of pebbles.

Variegated leaves provide color and interest, with or without flowers. Along with diverse hues and shapes, textures run the gamut. Lamb’s Ear sports incredibly soft leaves which feel as luxurious as a fine fabric.

No garden is complete without an abundance of creatures. Dave snapped some great shots of hummingbirds visiting a feeder. Finally, another garden companion surveys his turf. We all enjoyed our time in this enchanting spring garden.

Visit Kuriositas’ blog for great photos of The Amazing Monkey Orchid, aka the Dracula orchid. If you have any doubt why they call these blooms “orquidea mono“ or “monkey orchid” in Spanish, check out the second picture. With one look at the center of the flower, you may think you’re looking at Curious George himself. Can you find a troop of monkeys in the flowers of the aptly named Dracula simia?

Draculas live alongside real monkeys in the Andes. As air plants, these Masdevallia relatives even swing from the trees. Dracula blooms emerge from the bottom of the plant, and hang upside down. They’re just full of monkey business.

Thanks to my friend Blake for taking these great photos at last weekend’s New Orleans Orchid Society Show. The society’s 60th annual show was themed “The Mystery of Orchids.”  It featured over 20 exhibits, more than a dozen vendors, a raffle, and lots of gorgeous blooms.

These samples from the show obviously enjoy the Big Easy’s humid subtropical climate. It’s the perfect home for warm growers like Vandas, Cattleyas, and other glamorous stars of the orchid world. Many varieties can live outdoors if they can be protected from hurricanes and from winter cold. Each is an exceptional beauty like New Orleans itself.