Where did orchids originate? One may as well ask where man originated, for like man, the ubiquitous orchid is found on nearly every continent in nearly every climate. Also like man, the orchid has myriad varieties and forms - so many that one botanist has stated, "There is no such thing as a typical orchid."
There are over 30,000 varieties of orchids not including manmade hybrids. Most people think of orchids as tropical plants, but there are mentions of orchids in Chinese writings as early as 500 BC. In the Western world, the Greek botanist Theophrastus mentioned Orchids in manuscripts around 300 BC. An Aztec herbal dating from the 1600s mentions vanilla, a type of orchid. From Egypt to the Americas, from the South Seas to the mountains of Switzerland, there are native varieties of orchids that grow in the woods, the rain forests, the mountains and even the seashore.
Bamboo Orchids a Little Different
By Bob Roy Bamboo Orchid Plant When you think of bamboo you really think of bamboo sticks, dont you? There is an orchid that grows wild in some of the warmer climates like Hawaii and Southeast Asia..
By Bob Roy Bamboo Orchid Plant When you think of bamboo you really think of bamboo sticks, dont you? There is an orchid that grows wild in some of the warmer climates like Hawaii and Southeast Asia..
The modern day history of orchid cultivation, however, begins in the 1880s when William Cattley of England received a shipment of ornamental plants from the Brazilian jungles. The plants were packed in bulbs of another plant for protection, and out of curiosity, Cattley placed one of those plants into his glass house (what we now call a greenhouse). That plant was the Cattleya labiata orchid - the plant that most people think of as the 'orchid'.
Some of the most enchanting members of the orchid family are far less showy. The delicate lady slipper and brightly colored Calypso fairy slipper are found in the Northern woods from New England through Canada, and the Thai spider (bulbophyllum medusae) with its mane of 'hair' grows in the lowlands of Thailand. To learn more about orchids and other plants please visit [ http://www.orchidgeeks.com]
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Care of Cattleya
By Robert Roy Cattleya Care a bit more indepth This month we are going to go into some detail about the care of cattleya orchids. These orchids are probably the easiest to care for, and like all pla..
By Robert Roy Cattleya Care a bit more indepth This month we are going to go into some detail about the care of cattleya orchids. These orchids are probably the easiest to care for, and like all pla..
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