orchids

Q) My favorite orchid has unsightly color streaks on the flowers and I’m worried. What could this be?
Nate D.

A) Mere mention of the words Odontoglossom Ring Spot or Cymbidium Mosaic send chills through most growers for these are dreaded orchid viruses with no known cure. Symptoms include streaky leaves and flowers as well as compromised plant vigor. In most cases, the affected epiphytes are thrown out.

Healthy orchids are free of all plant viruses whose symptoms can include loss of vigor and unsightly markings in the foliage and flowers.

Twice a year, 75,000 visitors descend upon a small town in North Carolina for the High Point Furniture Market to see the latest in home furnishing from around the world. Solid Cherry dining room tables with walnut inlays, classic crystal chandeliers, teak bonded leather sofas, and sleek lined swivel chairs from Belgium are among the dazzling arrays of offerings in the 11 million square feet of exhibit halls. One design piece that is consistently displayed throughout the show is the “Orchid Arrangement.”

Q) I found two old orchid prints at a yard sale recently. What can you tell me about them? Barbara K.

Hand colored botanical Illustration.

Everyone remembers their first orchid. Mine was a greenhouse full – given by my father on the day that I went into the orchid business. It was the late 1980’s and I was leaving a promising engineering career – a move that raised a few eyebrows from my technical colleagues.

Q) My moth orchid is simply gorgeous but there doesn’t seem to be any identifying label. What can you tell me about its history? John H.

A) Phalaenopsis are commonly sold today without botanical name tags – a development which is unfortunate because the hobbyist cannot trace the fascinating parentage of each hybrid. Each plant offers clues, however, in both its foliage and its blossoms. Understanding the distinctive characteristics of the species is the key to fully appreciating the most popular houseplant in America.

Sometimes it’s nice to share a success story of an everyday guy who grows orchids on his windowsill. I suppose he’s not quite an everyday guy. His name is Howard ‘Buddy’ Wiles III and he is an Obstetrics and Gynecology doctor in Richmond. Although he doesn’t have any professional orchid training, he has figured out a way to grow and bloom Phalaenopsis in his office window year after year.

For those fortunate to have met Lady Thatcher on her many visits to Virginia, she was unquestionably warm and approachable despite her reputation as the ‘Iron Lady’. One warm sunny August day in 2004, she toured the campus of the University of Richmond greeting students and faculty before attending a dinner in her honor. She also made orchid history by accepting a Cattleya hybrid bearing her name. 

Q) I was recently given a lovely orchid. The only problem is that the flowers don’t look quite right. What’s going on? Jackie C.

Smart Phones and their ‘apps’ are increasingly playing a role in our everyday lives and now even orchid growers are getting a piece of the action. Here is a discussion of two widely used applications that cater to the hobbyist.