AboutOrchids

Shows, sales, classes, and conferences fill this month’s calendar. Don’t miss these great orchid events.

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The IUCN Orchid Specialist Group does vital conservation work. IUCN stands for the International Union for Conservation of Nature, a global organization which strives to preserve nature and promote sustainable development. Thousands of experts volunteer their time to support IUCN’s projects, including the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The Red List scientifically assesses the extinction risk for plants, animals, and all living creatures. The Orchid Specialist Group (OSG) was first created in 1984 to focus on orchid conservation. Thousands of orchid species have been studied, and many are listed as endangered, close to extinction, or already extinct. Most orchid species still need to be surveyed.

Orchid experts can volunteer with the OSG by contacting them online. Everyone can enjoy their wonderful orchid photo gallery, newsletters, and informative info on their website. Their work is essential to save endangered orchids.

After a few warm, sunny autumn days, we’re delighting in indoor orchids. The first two photos show my Maxillaria marginata, a great intermediate grower. Its flowers are similar to its close relative the Coconut Orchid, but not as fragrant. Long stems hold them away from the plant, so they don’t get lost in the leaves like the Coconut Orchid’s shy blooms. I bought this plant about five years ago, and after figuring out its growing conditions, it’s become a reliable bloomer. Next are two photos of sunny Mexicoa flowers. This plant seemed to struggle after repotting last year, so I was relieved when a few of its lemon-scented flowers popped open.

The Spider Orchid features tall, skinny blooms with a spicy scent. This Brassia hybrid flowers frequently. I’m pretty sure it has the biggest orchid blooms I’ve ever grown, occasionally topping 14 inches (35.6 cm) tall. Finally, there are couple of pictures of a Phal hybrid rescued from Dave’s old office. It’s not fragrant, but it flowers almost all year long. It’s a fantastic orchid.

Orchid events span six continents in October. Don’t miss these opportunities to enjoy incredible flowers, take photos, buy plants, meet other orchid lovers, or learn from experts.

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China is a hotspot of botanical diversity, and that includes orchids. Many have been used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine, but are being threatened by habitat loss and overcollection. Dozens of species of Dendrobiums are among those collected from the wild. The dried plants are added into teas or soups to help a variety of ailments. As China’s orchids have become overcollected and rare, it’s importing them from neighboring countries.

Fortunately, China is starting to better conserve its orchids. In 2o21, the nation declared all 96 of its native Dendrobium species to be protected. It’s encouraging farmers to cultivate them in industrial greenhouses, or in native forest conditions, rather than collect wild plants. Challenges include enforcing new rules, and reversing the declines in orchid numbers. If China can balance traditional uses with conservation, it can be a model for other countries working to protect their native orchid species.

The seasons cycle on as fall arrives today in the northern hemisphere.  Autumnal orchid colors include the reds, yellows, oranges, purples, and browns of falling leaves, along with the blues of a crisp, clear sky. These photos are from last winter’s Pacific Orchid Expo in San Francisco. Happy equinox.

The vast, diverse orchid family uses a mind-boggling number of strategies to attract pollinators and attach pollen to them. Check out a few of their fascinating methods in the videos below —

Lady in Black – Pollination in Vanilla

Blowin’ in the Wind – Wind mediated pollination in orchids

What Have I Done to Deserve This? – The unusual ecology of the bucket orchid Coryanthes

Your Latest Trick – Telipogon pollination

Comfortably Numb – Poisonous nectar and inebriated pollinators

Find additional orchid pollination videos at Adam Karremans’ YouTube channel, and discover more in his upcoming book, Demystifying Orchid Pollination.

This summer’s Orchids in the Park event filled Golden Gate Park with truly extraordinary flowers. My first post simply scratched the surface. Here are more photos, featuring the species, the hybrids, the latest trends, and the classics. It’s tough to pick favorites, but since I’ve grown Masdevallia chaparensis at home for many years, it’s already a favorite. The yellow flower throat illuminates those purple-leopard spots from within. It’s just one of the magical things that orchids do.

From Tasmania to Queeensland, Australians are celebrating orchids this month. There are over 60 events listed below for Australia, and eight in New Zealand, too. North and South America, Europe, and Asia are in there, also, with big shows in Tokyo, Tampa, Bogotá, and Lisbon.

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In Defense of Plants has a great podcast about orchid diversity with Dr. Tatiana Arias, who is a botanist at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in Sarasota, Florida. Arias is trying to understand why orchids are so diverse, and what drives their evolution. Orchids boast incredible variety among 30,000 species worldwide. She’s particularly interested in her home country, Colombia, which has over 4200 native species. Her research focuses on Pleurothallids, such as Lepanthes and Draculas, and requires collaboration with other scientists, hobbyists, farmers, and even former guerrillas. Some basic questions, like defining what a species is, can be challenging. With legal permits, Arias collects leaves and flowers to make dried herbarium specimens, takes pictures, and does genetic analyses. She’s always conscious of how endangered many of these orchids are, and works to conserve them. Learn more at the Arias Lab.