Scene Stealer

Pearcea hypocyrtiflora

It's fun to watch visitors stop and do a double take when they see this small irresistible gesneriad (family Gesneriaceae, aka the African Violet family) growing on the mossy ridge above the dry stream bed in the Orchid Display House.

Pearcea is a South American genus of 17 tropical species, only a few of which have similarly urn-shaped (or urceolate in botanical parlance) flowers. Species of Pearcea are mainly terrestrial understory herbs that grow in deep shade on humid moss covered slopes, where their spreading stolons create small colonies.

Pearcea hypocyrtiflora is endemic to the Napo province of Ecuador where it grows in the vicinity of the Napo River at elevations below 700 m. It is not terrific subjects for windowsill culture. It much prefers the warm humid confines of a terrarium. Cuttings are easily rooted with Rootone in a conventional peat/perlite mix.

The genus Parakohleria (which contains one of my all time favorite gesners, the mind-blowing Parakohleria rhodotricha) has recently been synonomized with Pearcea, a conclusion supported by molecular analysis showing Pearcea hypocyrtiflora nested within Parakohleria.

Rhodo~licious

Rhododendron 'Narnia'

The viryea rhododendrons in the Tropical High Elevation House are throwing a party. An early spring, a rigorous pruning (last summer), a little extra fertilizer and shazam~ a Rhododendron blowout. I can't remember the last time I saw so many flowers on our vireya rhododendrons.

Rhododendron laetum grows at 1800 to 2300 meters elevation in New Guinea

You are familiar with Rhododendron, of course, a huge genus of over 850 species. More than a third of these belong to the subgenus Vireya. The vireyas range from the Himalayas and South China through the multitude Malesian islands in South East Asia and into northern Australia. Some are epiphytes. Many are mountain-dwelling.

a Vireya Rhododendron hybrid

Vireya rhododendrons are not hardy in Atlanta.The vireyas in our Tropical High Elevation House thrive in a humid greenhouse where the night temperatures dip into the low 50's. Our plants are growing in a soil mix that contains peat moss, fine fir bark, charcoal and permatill. We fertilize our viryea rhododendrons and our tropical blueberries with Bovee's 5-5-7, a fertilizer formulated for rhododendrons and other ericaceous plants.

Rhododendron suaveolens often grows as as an epiphytic shrub in large trees in Sabah on the island of Borneo.

The Education Committee of the Rhododendron Species Foundation publishes a newsletter for Vireya fans, called the Vireya Vine. Another terrific resource is the website Vireya Rhododendrons.

Stop by and see our vireyas. They will continue to flower through April in the Tropical High Elevation House.

Climbing Out of the Weeds

Not literally, of course. "In the weeds" is a terrific expression. It's restaurant slang for overwhelmed. It also applies to an argument that becomes lost in a discussion of minutiae. In the weeds is pretty much where I've been since the launch of our annual Orchid Daze display. Everything else in my personal and professional life is swept aside while we do Orchid Daze.

Trichopilia suavis on the trunk of a tree fern in the Tropical High Elevation House

Finally yesterday I downloaded 1583 images from installation and the finished display. While the smoke clears above my PC here are a few other images from this week at the Fuqua Orchid Center.

Dendrobium densiflorum 

 March is a great month to see Dendrobium species in the Orchid Display House.

Epidendrum embreei, an Ecuadorian species growing in the Tropical High Elevation House

Ida species in the Tropical High Elevation House

more luscious Tropical Blueberries

Sweet tooth: prepare for action. One of the most spectacular of the tropical blueberries is in flower now in the Tropical High Elevation House.

Cavendishia grandifolia in flower 

Cavendishia grandifolia fruits have been recently recognized as an extremely potent source of dietary antioxidants.

Aside from being beautiful and nutritious, the plant is remarkable for its size: the sprawling stems on our plant are about ten feet in length. It is an enormous epiphytic shrub.

Cavendishia micayensis inflorescences cascading over the face of the waterfall.  The green tipped flowers can be seen among the billowy pink bracts.

Macleania coccoloboides with bell shaped flowers, an unmistakable hallmark of the family Ericaceae

Cavendishia bracteata with gorgeous translucent bracts.

Cavendishia grandifolia and C. micayensis will continue to flower through January. Stop by and see these marvelous plants!

Openings: the Notorious (Stinky) Orchid

"Did something die in here?" people are asking as they sniff the air in the Orchid Display House and look around apprehensively.

The malodorous Bulbophyllum spiesii

Corpse Flower, the common name usually given to Amorphophallus titanum, could well be applied to the orchid Bulbophyllum spiesii.

In a group known for grotesquery, Bulbophyllum spiesii and B. grandiflorum are among the most lurid. Contrivances for luring fly pollinators--foul odors, carrion colors, slime, hairs, spots, hinged lips are common in the genus Bulbophyllum, but in these two species reach outlandish proportions.

Is Mike holding his breath?

Even when not in flower, B. spiesii is an impressive plant with softball sized pseudobulbs and pendulous leaves hanging nearly three feet long. Tres Fromme, our designer, casting a glance up into the rafters observed, "Now that's a manly plant."

The reptilian flowers of Bulbophyllum grandiflorum have fenestrations, translucent window pane markings similar to those seen on the funnel shaped leaves of many of the insectivorous Sarracenia.

Eric Christenson noted that in some respects the genus Bulbophyllum can be thought of as a primarily Old World counterpart of Pleurothallis, both genera showing similar adaptations to fly pollination.

You can see both of these orchids in flower now in the Orchid Display House.

Red & White: some holiday orchids

Masdevallia tovarensis

Two exceptionally floriferous orchids have been at their best during the holiday season: Masdevallia tovarensis and Dracula decussata.

Masdevallia tovarensis has always flowered well for us during the short days of winter. Each flower spike produces 2-4  snow white flowers. In the Tropical High Elevation House this time of year it receives 50º nights and 72º days with 80% shade and near 80% humidity. Our plants came from Kalapana Tropicals.

Masdevallia tovarensis is endemic to the coastal mountains of Venezuela where is grows at 1600 to 2400 m.

Dracula decussata

Dracula decussata doesn't produce the most dramatic flowers in the genus, but it can certainly create a tiny flower show all on it's own--with twenty or more flowers at a time. I love the whip-like red tails (sepals) that cross below the flower. Dracula decussata comes from the Choco region of Colombia and grows at 1200 meters in the western cordillera.

 You can see both of these wonderful orchids in flower now in the Tropical High Elevation House.

Openings, Week of December 12

Pleurothallis gargantua in closeup. The flowers measure 1" across by 3" long.

Now is a great time to catch an amazing flush of flowers on the Pleurothallids in the Tropical High Elevation House.

Pleurothallis gargantua planted in the ground in the Tropical High Elevation House. 

Pleurothallis marthae can be grown as an epiphyte or as a terrestrial.

A yet-to-be-identified Pleurothallis growing epiphytically on a cedar tree

All of the Pleurothallids pictured above belong to my favorite section of the genus Pleurothallis, the Macrophyllae-fasciculatae, colloquially known as the clamshell Pleurothallids.

Not all Stelis are micro miniatures. This species produces flowers 1/2" diameter--huge for a Stelis.

I love it when the Pleurothallids steal the show!

Openings, Week of November 28

Last week brought the tremendously successful opening of Garden Lights, Holiday Nights. But that wasn't the only opening at ABG last week.

Maxillaria scalariformis

Opening in the Tropical High Elevation House starting last week is the Panamanian orchid, Maxillaria scalariformis. Opera lovers familiar with the famous Milanese opera house La Scala will know that scala means ladder, and thus the epithet scalariformis refers to the ladder like arrangement of the leaves on the stems.

Of the twenty or so species of Maxillaria in the HEH, Maxillaria scalarformis is one of my favorites. The flowers and the leaves are suffused with a lovely deep rose blush. So gorgeous.
We received our Maxillaria scalariformis about four years ago. Clearly this plant deserved a prominent spot at eye level. Since there was no room on any of our epiphyte trees at the time I simply wrapped the root ball in a mixture of moss and tree fern fiber and wedged it in a rocky crevice where it has been growing happily ever since.

Phaius flavus x P. tankervillae

Phaius are very much underutilized in conservatory landscapes in my opinion. Like Peristeria elata (the Dove Orchid) and Warrea warreana, two other tropical terrestrial orchids, it makes a very striking back-of-the-border element, with bold upright spikes that reach 4' in height.
Phaius are among the most forgiving of orchids--they grow vigorously under intermediate to warm conditions in just about any good quality soilless medium. The only serious strike against them is that they are very attractive to scale insects. Phaius tankervillae (the Nun's Orchid) and various intergeneric and interspecific Phaius hybrids are readily available in the retail trade. The hybrid photographed above in the Orchid Display House has the most extraordinary foliage--in the lower right hand corner you can see the glowing yellow spots on the deep green leaves.

You can enjoy both of these plants in flower for the next couple of weeks.