10 THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT ORCHIDS
Orchid lovers are in for a treat this month as two major orchid celebrations get into full swing, creating a wealth of inspiration for visitors.
Kew Gardens is focusing on the unique flora and fauna of Madagascar, the world’s fourth largest island, at its spectacular orchid festival, while the RHS flagship garden at Wisley, Surrey is staging a new exhibition, Danger and Desire: The Seductive Power of Orchids, exploring the symbolism of orchids.
Here, experts from Kew and from the RHS suggest 10 things you might not know about these exotic, elegant plants.
1.They are one of the largest plant families
There are more than 26,000 species of orchid (Orchidaceae) known to science, possibly outnumbered only by the daisy family (Asteraceae).
2.They are master tricksters
Many orchid species have evolved to trick pollinators into falsely believing they will receive a reward from the flower during pollination. For example, the fly orchid (Ophrys insectifera) and its relatives produce flowers and scents that mimic female insects. When the male attempts to mate with the flower, it picks up pollen and transfers it between plants.
3.Orchids rely on fungi for survival
In the wild, orchid seeds cannot germinate without being infected by mycorrhizal fungi. The fungus provides the essential nutrients needed for seeds to germinate.
4.They’re not all small and elegant
The Asian giant tiger orchid can weigh more than a ton, producing leafy canes over 8ft long that produce 18ft flowering stems.
5.They grow almost everywhere
Wild species can be found on every continent, with the exception of
Antarctica. Madagascar alone is home to more than 1,000 that grow nowhere else.
6.Some smell bad and look ugly
Some smell unpleasant. The orchid Bulbophyllum beccarii, for example, has been described as smelling like “a thousand dead elephants”. Not all orchids are easy on the eye, either. The flowers of the small, brown, leafless orchid Gastrodia agnicellus from Madagascar mean it’s known as “the ugliest orchid in the world”.
7.They are the canary in the coal mine for biodiversity loss
Because of their close relationships with specific pollinators and fungi, loss of orchids is an early warning of problems for ecosystems. They are sensitive to changes in environment and their disappearance can be an indicator of poor ecosystem health.
8.Orchids have a 007 connection
In the film Moonraker, Bond villain, Hugo Drax, was an orchid collector who planned to use a poison derived from a fictional black orchid to kill everyone on Earth.
9.Some orchids are edible
Vanilla (Vanilla planifolia) is a vining orchid from Central and northern South America and provides one of the most popular flavours in the world.
10.A rare bird is protecting a new species of orchid
Aeranthes bigibbum, a white orchid named as new to science in 2023, was found in a reserve in Madagascar managed by a group of villagers protecting a rare bird, the blue-beaked helmet vanga (Euryceros prevostii). The bird attracts paying visitors, and its presence has saved the forest – and the rare orchid – from clearance.
■ Kew Gardens’ orchid festival runs until Sunday, March 3, at the Princess of Wales Conservatory at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. The Danger and Desire: The Seductive Power of Orchids exhibition runs at Wisley Gallery, in RHS Garden Wisley’s Old Laboratory, until May 8
There are more than 26,000 species of orchid known to science