January Orchid Shows
Begin the new year with orchids! From Tokyo to Miami, from Portugal to Minnesota, orchid shows let you enjoy stunning flowers in any language.
Orchids: Masters of Disguise
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 —
Dark Days
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.
Cattleya Charms
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.
Give Orchids for the Holidays
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.
An Orchid Obsession in New Zealand
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.
, ,Four Gentlemen on a Flowerpot
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.
, , , ,December Orchid Events
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.
Orchid Snack Food
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.
, ,Wild Orchids Bloom Across Australian Capital
The Sydney Morning Herald reports that tens of thousands of wild orchids have bloomed around Canberra. After a very wet winter across the Australian Capital Territory, dozens of different orchid species are putting on a show. With common names like Donkey Orchids, Beard Orchids, __and Helmet Orchids, they have a myriad of fascinating sizes __and shapes. Government conservation officer Dr. Michael Mulvaney added “There are as many orchids [species] on Black Mountain than there are in the whole of Great Britain so we’re blessed by our diversity of orchid.”
, ,A Beautiful Coelia Orchid
Coelia bella is a great orchid species, both easy to grow __and easy to pronounce. Its charming purple, white, __and yellow flowers give off a light marzipan or almond oil fragrance.
To say Coelia, ignore the “o” and say Celia like the woman’s name, SEE-Lee-Ah. The second part of its Latin name, bella, translates as beautiful. In the wild, this species lives from southern Mexico through Central America in rainforests up to 5000 feet (1500 m) in elevation.
In addition to its lovely flowers, this orchid is also known for its distinctive, egg-shaped pseudobulbs (some of them look more like fat tomatoes than eggs!) My plant happily grows outdoors all year in a partly sunny area next to our house. I give it regular water, fertilizer, and a winter dormancy. This variety can handle a wide range of temperatures. It needs extra care during repotting to avoid damage to roots. The last photo below shows two fat pseudobulbs and a flower spike hanging out of the pot, indicating that my plant is overdue for repotting. But that obviously hasn’t slowed down the flower show on this beautiful Coelia.
Saving Minnesota’s Rare Orchids Before It’s Too Late
The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum is working to conserve rare native orchids. The Arboretum is building a seed bank for all of the state’s 48 native species, including the official state flower, the Showy Lady’s Slipper. The effort is part of a larger conservation project, headed by the Smithsonian Institution, to preserve seeds from all of the USA’s native orchids. Since many of these orchids are rare, __and their seeds are as small as dust, collecting them is a real challenge. “A lot of orchids are the first species to disappear from a landscape,” said plant expert David Remucal. “We could be losing a lot of these landscapes over the next 50 years, so we could be losing a lot of these orchid populations.”
, ,Orchids on the Rocks
Orchids on the rocks? No, it’s not another post about ice cubes or climate change. Instead, it’s about orchids which actually grow on rocks. Attached by their roots, orchids may wedge into stony crevices or hang off sheer mountain cliffs. Many orchids which are air plants can affix to both trees __and rocks. The first three photos show a few species which can grow this way: a Dendrobium, a Laelia, __and a Sarcochilus.
Plants which grow on rocks are called lithophytes. Gardeners may also hear the word rupicolous, which has the same meaning. Lithophytes in the orchid family include some Lady Slippers, Dendrobiums, Sarcochilus, Cattleyas, Bulbophyllums, Oncidiums, Angraecums, and many more. Their roots cling to rough stone surfaces, and expand into cracks and crevices to help secure themselves. They may live in pockets of soil or rotting leaves which provide them with nutrients. Some of the pictures below show how their white roots attach to rocks.
Keeping orchids as lithophytes can be tricky. Rock can quickly heat up in direct sun, and flat areas may not drain well, so it’s important to pay careful attention to light, water, and humidity. The standard advice is to grow lithophytes like air plants, keeping them in well-drained pots with bark or moss, rather than risking them on stone. For the adventurous, Growing Orchids in Your Garden by Robert G.M. Friend has a chapter on lithophytes, including which varieties work best.
For more photos of orchid on the rocks, check out this blog post about plants in Cambodia.
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