AboutOrchids

The warm and sunny colors of these Coral Roots Orchids are a perfect way to welcome the first day of summer. Coral Roots, or Corallorhizas, are strange, leafless orchids. They live underground except when they flower. With no chlorophyll, they instead take nourishment from fungi in the soil. The wild orchids in these photos are blooming in the Rockies, at almost 7900 feet (2408 m) in elevation, near Durango in southwest Colorado.

I believe the reddish-purple plants in the first row of photos are the Spotted Coral Root, Corallorhiza maculata. It’s native to much of the USA, Canada, Mexico, and Guatemala. The yellow and white flowers in the rest of the pictures are probably another color form of the Spotted Coral Root. They may also be the Early Coral Root, Corallorhiza trifida. No matter which species they are, these unusual blooms popping out of the forest floor are great signs of a healthy environment, and a welcome harbinger of summer.

Photos in this post courtesy of Brenda Hogue. See more Coral Roots in these previous posts:

• Native Colorado Orchids
• More Native Colorado Orchids
• A Weird Coralroot Orchid Grows in Austin

San Francisco’s Conservatory of Flowers is one of the many gems in Golden Gate Park. I’ve blogged about our past visits, but it had been a few years since we were there. Last week, Dave and I remedied that, and we were again in awe of their astounding collection. The glasshouse is magnificent on the outside, and packed with tropical plants inside. Orchids abound. Like a rainforest, orchids are at every level: in pots on the floor, hanging from mounts, and suspended from above. The more we looked, the more fascinating plants we found.

Orchid varieties in the historic glasshouse range from tiny pleurothallids to an enormous Sobralia which towers over visitors. I really enjoyed the variety, especially the rare and rarely-seen species. The non-orchids are pretty spectacular, too. A few are shown in the final two rows of pictures below, including the new growth on a Titan Arum, or Corpse Flower, in the last photo. For weeks, people have been wondering whether it’s a leaf or a flower. Yesterday, the Conservatory announced that they can see the signs that it will be a flower. (Sorry, Instagram will not let that link work unless you’re logged in.) In a couple weeks, it will bloom as one of the largest and stinkiest flowers in the plant world. Fortunately, it didn’t stink when we were there.

If you’re in San Francisco, the magical Conservatory of Flowers is always worth a visit. Check out photos from our past visits below.

• Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park
• And More from the Conservatory of Flowers
• Orchids in the Conservatory of Flowers
• Conservatory of Flowers
• Conservatory of Flowers redux
• Conservatory of Flowers
• More from the Conservatory of Flowers

Penn State biologists have determined that orchids evolved the ability to grow on other plants at least 14 times. They studied the genetics of 610 orchid species, representing all five orchid subfamilies. Over two-thirds of orchids are epiphytes, or air plants. They’re not parasites, but grow attached to tree trunks and branches. This gives them better access to light, water, and pollinators than plants on the forest floor. These advantages are valuable enough that they made the leap from terrestrial to epiphyte. This discovery adds vital information to the orchid family tree. Biology professor Hong Ma explained “Understanding the relationships among orchid species can help us with conservation efforts, with future studies into the evolution of orchid traits, and for identifying new potential uses for orchids.”

Summer brings a slower show schedule in the Northern Hemisphere, but there are still plenty of events to be found on six continents. Be sure to check out any of these shows, sales, festivals, auctions, and workshops near you.

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It wasn’t a big event, but there was plenty to enjoy at last month’s Gold Coast Cymbidium Society Show in Redwood City. The variety of Cymbidiums was impressive. Their blooms ranged from large to small, and from spots to stripes to splashes of colors.

Of course, there were other orchids there, too. They included a strange little species I had never seen in person before, Strongyleria pannea. Its flowers are tiny, bright yellow, and covered with velvety white fuzz. Even nestled in a display with larger, showier blossoms, it was unusual enough to stand out to an orchid geek like me.

Social media has spawned some very bizarre, and very fake, orchid care videos. They deceive just to get clicks, likes, and ad money, featuring outrageous solutions to grab your attention. I don’t want to share any of these videos here, because I don’t want to give them more views, but it’s likely you’ve seen them. Usually, they include strange orchid care tips which have no basis in fact, may harm plants, and, at least, are a waste of your time.

I recently saw one labeled “Orchid Care Hacks” which claimed that steam from an iron will make an orchid bloom, and an almost-dead orchid can be revived to perfect health with honey and moss. Another showed a tiny keiki that’s grown into a full-sized plant with glorious blooms in only two months, thanks to magical concoctions of garlic and citrus. Tellingly, they rarely have info about proper growing conditions, such as light, water, or temperature needs.

Another elaborated a complex method to make a Moth Orchid rebloom: trim the old flower spikes, rub garlic on the cut ends, and paint the tips with nail polish. Then slide fresh Aloe vera leaves over the tops of the orchid spikes, and cover them with plastic bags. After a few weeks, remove the bags and aloe, and new growth will have emerged. Sound incredible? The most incredible thing about it is how they’ve complicated an easy process. All you need to do is trim the spikes. The garlic, nail polish, aloe leaves, and plastic bags are completely unnecessary.

I’m sure these absurdities, and many more like them, are leading people astray throughout the interwebs. Of course, there are plenty of great videos out there, too, with helpful, knowledgeable people who aren’t running a scam. How do you spot the difference? There are no simple answers. Generally, if it seems too good to be true, it’s probably not true. Think critically, and be skeptical. Remember that deceptive video editing is very easy. Don’t trust care hacks, especially if they seem too bizarre or too quick. Do your own research. Ask fellow growers at your local orchid society. Many videos are only posted for a short time before they’re reported as fakes and removed, so check on them after a while to see if they disappear.

This type of clickbait is appealing because it’s bizarre. Like old circus freak shows, they catch your attention. Orchids are fascinating enough without the gimmicks and falsehoods. And of course, you can always trust the advice here at AboutOrchids.com.

After a wet winter, our spring garden is full of orchids, especially Cymbidiums. Some of the flowers were mangled by strong rains, winds, and hail, but there’s still an impressive display. Along with the Cymbidiums in this post, there are also Masdevallias, a Coelogyne, an Epidendrum, and a Dendrobium. Originating from the Himalayas, the Andes, and Australia, these cool growers are tough enough to endure chilly rains and rough weather. Still, it’s incredible that they survived so many severe storms with winds over 60 mph (97 kmh,) and one with speeds over 71 mph (114 kmh.) Damage is evident on the blooms in the final two photos, especially the last one. Now that spring has arrived, the weather has calmed, and the flowers can really shine. It’s certainly a welcome change.

From Albuquerque to Glasgow, from Auckland to Rome, orchid lovers are gathering this month. Take advantage of these events around the globe.

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Victorian England was obsessed with orchids. The trend was called Orchidelirium, like Dutch Tulip mania centuries before. Fortunes were made and lost, and tropical rainforests were deliberately stripped bare to ship plants to Britain. Many orchid hunters died in the process, and most of the orchids died, too. The few surviving plants which made it to England cost extravagant amounts, but rarely lived for long, as growers struggled to understand their care in the cold English climate. Britain’s richest competed to have the best collections long before 1886, when “Orchid King” Frederick Sander was named Royal Orchid Grower by Queen Victoria. Orchids became symbols of wealth and privilege, a mythos that they retain today, even as they’re sold at supermarkets. Orchidelirium may have subsided, but it certainly hasn’t disappeared. There are plenty of stories like The Orchid Thief to prove that many still suffer from the madness.

Four stories above the streets of San Francisco, a beautiful garden oasis sits among the Financial District’s skyscrapers. Salesforce Park is a living roof for the city’s new transit center. This public park covers 5.4 acres (2.2 hectares,) and features thousands of trees and plants. It also contains walking trails, seating, a children’s play area, fountains, amphitheaters, and a beer garden. During my recent visit, I enjoyed the superb plantings framed by modern skyscrapers and a blue sky.

Salesforce Park doesn’t have any orchids, but there are vibrant plantings from Australia, South Africa, Mediterranean climates, and cloud forests. Their layout makes the space feel larger than it is. Tree aloes, pincushion flowers, palm trees, redwoods, and bamboos reach to the sky. Besides the human visitors, there are hummingbirds and dragonflies. It’s a lot packed into four city blocks, but it feels calming anyway. Salesforce Park is definitely a welcome green addition to downtown San Francisco.

Click here for a park map and more info about the variety of plants in the gardens.