Think you can tell the difference between an orchid and a praying mantis? Or an orchid and a sugar flower? See for yourself, and get ready to view 10,000 orchids in bloom at the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Orchid Show, February 11 to March 26. This year’s theme, Orchids in Vogue, looks at the influence of orchids … Continue reading Six Reasons Why Orchids Are Cool
Just like magic, a ghost orchid (Dendrophylax lindenii) appears overhead in a Florida swamp. Its pale roots extend like gloved fingers across the bark of a pond apple tree (Annona glabra), while its graceful flower reflects onto the shadowed water below. Doctoral student Lynnaun Johnson wades over for a closer look. Habitat is shrinking for … Continue reading Studying Fungi Amid the Ghost Orchids
Life on the prairie hasn’t been a breeze for the beautiful eastern prairie fringed orchid (Platanthera leucophaea). Once common across the Midwest and Canada, the enchanting wildflower caught the attention of collectors and was overharvested throughout the 1900s. At the same time, large portions of its wet prairie, sedge meadow, and wetland habitat were converted … Continue reading How Love and Science May Defend a Wild Orchid
Vanilla cookies, vanilla perfume, and everything vanilla swept through my nostrils at a scented display at last year’s Orchid Show. The sweet smell was a great way to show many visitors that vanilla comes from the fruits of the vanilla orchid (Vanilla planifolia). As a docent at last year’s show, I was eager to show off … Continue reading The Hidden Partners of the Vanilla Orchid
With our Orchid Show set to open on mid-February and the first shipment of flowers due to arrive any day, we all have a touch of orchid fever here at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Naturally, we wondered who among us might have the worst case (or best, depending on how you look at it). So … Continue reading A Scientist with Orchid Fever
