Jan 27th, 2009
A Consideration of Orchids, by Regions
Of all the flowers on earth, orchids are especially fascinating. Not only are they beautiful to look at, but they often bring a bit of wonder and mystery with them. Although widespread in distribution, many can only be found in isolated, virtually inaccessible places–volcanic mountainsides, dense jungles, deep swamps, etc.
Beginning in earnest in the nineteenth century, orchid enthusiasts have devoted years and even careers to discovering as well as cultivating new varieties of these flowering plants. Although most orchids are bought nowadays from growers that specialize in breeding these plants, many of them being developed through hybridization, it is helpful to learn a little of their natural history.
Orchids are herbacious plants of which tens of thousands of species are known, with more still being discovered.They show an astouding range of color and shape, which has added greatly to public fascination with them. Master gardeners often delight in growing a wide range of orchids to demonstrate their mastery of the arts of cultivation.
Orchids grow throughout the earth, excepting the desert regions and polar zones. About 85% of species occur in tropical or subtropical regions, but this leaves a huge number that may be found in much cooler zones. In some parts of the Himalayas orchids constitute the most abundantly represented family of plants in terms of sheer number of species.
By far the greatest number of orchids occur in three large tropical belts:
- Tropical Africa (including islands to the east in the Indian Ocean). These mostly belong to the genera (families) Angnecum, Bulbophyllum and Disa. Orchids from this region are not so widely cultivated as ones coming originating in other tropical lands, but Africa nonetheless has many interesting species.
- Tropical Asia. This region, which includes Indonesia and other islands as well as the mainland countries of Southeast Asia, is considered especially rich in orchid genera. Typical of the region are the large genera Dendrobium, Eria and Bulbophyllum and many smaller ones as well.
- Tropical America. This region embraces Mexico, Central America and the tropical parts of South America. Isolated from the rest of the world for millennia, this region contains an unusually high number of indigenous orchid genera, many of which contain hundreds of individual species. Among the large indigenous genera are Epidendrum, Pleurothallis and Oncidium; many smaller genera found here also contribute more than their share to orchids that have found favor among cultivators the world over.
In the temperate zones of the southern hemisphere may also be found many orchds, though not in so abundant number as in the tropics. In southern Africa the Disa and Calanthe genera furnish a few species judged valuable to cultivation. Australia contains many genera in common with the tropical Asia. Southern South America boasts a number of temperate orchids, but by the estimation of orchid devotees, they are greatly overshadowed by those
from the much larger tropical part of thecontinent.
In the northern hemisphere’s temperate zones, we should mention the United States and particularly the northeastern and New Englad regions, as well as Canada. There we find about 20 native genera, whose member species grow mostly in swamps and moist grounds. The Cypripediuins, or Lady Slippers, are the most celebrated of these.
Europe also has many native orchids, but undoubtedly the most famous and showy is the Bee Orchid (Ophrys apifera). The Bee Orchid grows on dry or semi-dry turf, often in open areas within woodlands. Bee Orchids are common near the Mediterranean coast of Europe, and grows (albeit less abundantly) as far north as Germany and the UK.
Orchids vary greatly in how easily they can be grown, although for the most part they are not the difficult plants that popular wisdom would have it. The most thorough guide to expert orchid care, without a doubt, is Orchid Care Expert by Nigel Howard, which is available to be downloaded online. Mr. Howard’s ebook is a thorough course of study, helpful for beginners as well as the more experienced cultivators alike. Also, check out the Orchid Secrets web site, which has an ever-growing library of articles on all facets of orchid cultivation.
