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(Photo: Erica George Dines)
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| Winter Beauties |
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by Dawn P. Cannon
These exotic beauties inspired Greek and Roman myths,
a thriving underground trade, and more than one fanatical patron. Orchids,
though first cultivated in China, became the obsession of wealthy
Victorians when the Duke of Devonshire first laid eyes on one in 1833. This
English fascination sent orchid hunters into the jungles of South America
to bring back prized species and sparked "orchid mania" among
the wealthy.
Thanks to our intrepid forebears, orchids are
available year-round, and even some of the most coveted are but a mouse
click away. However, they hold special appeal in the middle of winter, when
a touch of the exotic is like a postcard for the more temperate days to
come. Eschew the ubiquitous phalaenopsis you'll find at the grocery
store. Instead, opt for an indulgent specimen that will last until the
first blooms of spring.
From the ghost orchid, one of the rarest in the
world, to the more common dendrobium, the orchid family includes more than
17,000 species, making it one of the largest families in the plant kingdom.
In fact, species are still being discovered today. Five new ones were
recently found in a remote region of central Vietnam known as the Green
Corridor. The following are some the most popular genera cultivated for the marketplace.
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