Frozen Orchid

This is what a frozen orchid looks like.

I received this orchid in the mail with no heatpack, or other precaution taken. It was 18F degrees when the orchid arrived. They never told me they were sending it and evidently did not check the weather forecast first. It looked fine at first, but that was because it was frozen solid. This is how it looked a few hours after I brought it in.

Recent Orchid Blooms

Here are some of my Most Recent BloomsCattleytonia "Why Not?"Oncidium Cheirophorum

What Does This Orchid Look Like?

Image courtesy of: Paul Nielsen's British Flora Gallery

For a picture of the animal this orchid resembles, click here.

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This is the Bee Orchid, Ophrys Apifera. It resembles a bee in order to attract other bees, who attempt to mate with it. In the process they gather the flower’s pollen and transport it to other flowers, fertilizing them. The Bee Orchid is terrestrial, meaning that, unlike many orchids, it grows directly in the soil and is deciduous. Most non-tropical orchids share these qualities. This plant is common in parts of England and Europe. Here is a picture of the whole flower stalk.

Image courtesy of: Paul Nielsen's British Flora Gallery

Holiday Turkey Never Smelled So Good: 4 Food Scented Orchids

Here is a list of orchids that smell like sweet holiday food. These orchids also generally bloom around the holidays.

1. Oncidium “Sherry Baby Sweet Fragrance:”

Oncidium Sherry Baby Image from hanaflowers.com

This orchid smells exactly like a chocolate Sunday.

2. Cattleya hybrid Potinara Burana Beauty Burana:

This is a fun striped orchid that smells like a floral centerpiece.

3. Oncidium Ornithorhynchum

Smells sort of like candy, or bubble gum. This plant blooms with tons of pink flower. Here is a picture of the one I have blooming right now.

4. Cattleya Percivaliana

Smells like bread dough, with a lot of yeast. It is an odd smell, but does remind one of food. This orchid is often called the Christmas orchid, because it generally blooms in November or December. Here is a picture of the one I have that’s blooming right now.

Strange Orchid Fact #1: Bulbophyllum

Picture Courtesy of Tinonee Orchid Nursery

Several orchids in the Bulbophyllum genus smell like rotting meat to attract flies for pollination. Many of these orchid flowers also look a bit like they smell.

My Latest Bloom

Encyclia Cochleata:

Common in central America and the Caribbean. This is the national flower of Belize. It can sometimes bloom for months at a time.