Blooming Ghost Orchid found...

The ghost blooms in June, July and August...Sightings are rare... navigating the swampy wilds of the FakahatcheeStrand, an 85,000-acre linear state preserve in the Everglades.
... the news that a ghost orchid in full flower is perched high in a baldcypress tree just 150 feet off the boardwalk at Corkscrew Swamp in CollierCounty is... amazing to those who have seen them and those who have soughtthem.
?... I?m surprised to say the least,? said Susan Orlean, who wrote... ?TheOrchid Thief,? published in 1998. The search for the ghost orchid is acentral theme in the book, which detailed the exploits of John Laroche ofNaples, a real-life thief of orchids, including the elusive ghost.
Orlean began researching the book in 1994, but to this day has never seen ablooming ghost orchid...Orlean spent hours tromping through the innards of the Fakahatchee Strandin her search....Her book was the basis for the 2002 movie ?Adaptation,? in which actorChris Cooper portrayed Laroche and Meryl Streep played Orlean. TheFakahatchee Strand was the setting for part of the movie, where park rangerMike Owen has monitored ghost orchids and other protected orchids... foralmost 14 years.
Owen returned three of the ghost orchids ? among the 84 total orchidsLaroche poached Dec. 21, 1993 ? to the Fakahatchee. The next June one ofthem bloomed, marking the first time Owen ever saw a ghost orchid in fullflower.... The ghost has no leaves. ?All it is is a mass of roots withchlorophyll,? he said. The plant takes 15 to 20 years to bloom and its onlypollinator is the giant sphinx moth, he said....Clyde Butcher... black-and-white photographer of the Everglades, went intothe Fakahatchee in 1999 and came out with his now-famous photo of asolitary ghost orchid bloom....The ghost orchid at Corkscrew Swamp is 60 feet in the air...Its height may keep it safe from poachers [hopefully !].
Another ghost orchid that bloomed just 100 feet from the one Butcherphotographed was stolen in 2005, Owen said.The poachers chopped the top 18 inches off the tree, including the bloom."
URL :http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070710/NEWS0105/307100010/1075

Ghost Orchid

"For the first time in 12 years a ghost orchid has been found bloomingwithin the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary in northern Collier County.
Unfortunately [or fortunately !], the bald cypress tree to which the orchidis attached is 150 feet away from the boardwalk and the orchid is 45 feetabove the ground. It will be difficult for viewers to see, but the parkemployees have set up a viewing area for people to use."
URL :http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070710/NEWS0105/307100010/1075

Regards,
Steve Peralta
1888Orchids.com

Panama Orchids

Hey,
I translated an article about orchids in Panama using Systransoft.com so the translation may not be the greatest but it is an interesting article about orchids of Panama.

Here it is:
Easy to cultivate. The orquídeas are strong plants and in Panama it has more than 1600 native species, of which many are in extinction danger, by the indiscriminate way as they remove them from its natural means. Caesar Cubilla, president of the Association of Orquideología of Panama, explained that to cultivate orquídeas, first that there are to know is if the type of plant is of cold, heat or shade.
After east knowledge is had, the others do not have science, these are strong plants that they do not require of many cares, added the expert.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE CARE OF THE PLANTS According to Mr. Cubilla, the orquídeas require of an installment to foliar weekly of fortification, growth and flowering. As it is known the handling, installments can be used that are specific for the flowering.
Other important elements are: ventilation, illumination, fixation, and transplant.
As far as the fixation, one is due to have well-taken care of of which the plant is well fixed, otherwise, the roots do not adhere to the base where it has been placed.
If the orquídea blooms in January, it is due to begin to feed well from November so that it gives the best flowering.
Although the plant is of sun, does not have to leave long time under this one, because it is probable that it dies.
It is recommended to make a orquideario of three levels, where the orquídeas of sun are placed, above; those of shade, in means, and those of cold, down. In this way, they protect themselves to each other.

CHOOSING THE ORQUIDEAS
First she knows the conditions of his breeding grounds or patios, soon she chooses the adaptable species to these.
She never buys a plant by impulse.
She does not buy plants that you cannot administer or take care of.
She recommends herself to concentrate in some sorts or types of orquídeas.
Finally, she does not forget the space available in his residence.

If you can read Spanish, here's the Spanish article:
http://www.diaadia.com.pa/archivo/07082007/etcetera.html

Orchid Species Employ Deceit for Pollination - Like a Man Faking an Accent

Approximately 10 percent of orchid species employ deceit for pollination.
A rare South African orchid, Disa nivea, always grows amid colonies of amember of the foxglove family, whose flower it mimics. It also exploits thetarget plant's pollinator, a fly. Expecting a nectar reward, the fly comesup empty on the orchid, but since there are plenty of genuine nectar plantsaround, it gets fooled again and again.
The spider orchids, Brassia, have evolved showy flowers with spiderycharacteristics to fool the several species of wasps which stuff theirnests with paralyzed spiders. Thinking she has found victims, the femalewasp repeatedly stings the flowers, pollinating the orchid...
pseudocopulation. Each species of Orphrys orchid is pollinated by the maleof a particular bee or wasp. The orchid flower somewhat resembles thefemale, but its velvety texture and the sexual odor it mimics are the mainattractants.The females of these bees and wasps emerge later than the males, and, notcoincidentally, the orchid blooms before females are active. The male landson the flower and goes through the motions of copulation until it realizesit isn't getting anywhere and leaves. In the process it transfers pollen.It never learns, and will continue trying to mate with the orchid until thefemale wasps emerge."
URL : http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2007/jun/22/drive_survive/

World Orchid Conference - Miami, Florida January 23-27, 2008

World Orchid Conference, Miami... will bring... an economic impact of about $18 million... according to organizers.
The 19th World Orchid Conference, Jan. 23-27, 2008, is returning to theUnited States after 25 years in locations including Dijon, France; ShahAlam, Malaysia; and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The flower gathering is to be at the Sheraton Miami Mart Hotel andConvention Center....Held... every three years in a different international location...
Organizers said they expect nearly 200,000 attendees.
URL :http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/provider/providerarticle.aspx?Feed=ACBJ&Date=20070628&ID=7100891

Dendrobium densiflorum

Here is a special orchid that is in bloom right now....















The 200 varieties of Dendrobium orchids push in a wild state in the vast triangle formed by the Himalayas, the South of Japan and the Zealand News. Dendron comes from the Greek and means “tree”, “organic” means life - its name points out its way of pushing in nature: preferably on trees (épiphyte), but sometimes also on rocks (lithophyte).

The varieties coming from cold areas are acclimatized very well in our apartments. The dendrobium orchid is an easy joint tenant who does not ask too many care and constitutes with him only a work of art in each part. It is not for only in English this plant is called “fart seedling”, so much its presence is comparable with that of a pet.

When they are in nature, the orchises open out thanks to the differences in temperature that there is between the day and the night. It is thus necessary to take care to place your orchid plant in a place where the temperature is fresher the night than the day. You can for example place your orchis in front of a window. This precaution to be taken has all its importance because it is in fact the variations in temperature which induce the flowering of your orchises.

Place it in at a place which you air regularly. The orchids like to have a little air. But attention, their stem is fragile! It is also necessary to take care that it is not in full cold air draft, especially the winter.
Some is the Dendrobium to which you will succumb, this orchis will always surprise you: initially by its form, a such torch with the spangled flowers, supported by a green foliage, and also by its petals with the splendid reasons, of a color gradation blades or on the contrary very contrasted, such as for example of the yellow petals to the labelle pink, or of the white flowers in the middle purple.

The labellum one hangs the glance: sensual, corrugated, powerful and arousing, very “Girl Power”.
Chinese medicine concocts infusions starting from certain varieties of Dendrobium orchid to support digestion and to nourish the “yin” (female) of the man. Over there, this house plant is most beautiful of the gifts which one can offer to a woman.

The dendrobium - of which there exists more than 1200 cultivated varieties - became, around 1900, a house plant. When a man offered this orchis to a woman, it was to express passion that it inspired to him…. even if that were sometimes regarded as improper because of the erotic aspect of the plant due to its voluptuous “lip”.

NEW orchid species discovered in Western Australia

Orchids are truly amazing - they are highly evolved plants!

For example, to encourage pollination, the flowers of many orchids have evolved to resemble female insects to encourage the male insect to pollinate the flower. The referenced article is short but it is exciting first of all to know that a new orchid species has been discovered and second, that an orchid flower can evolve to resemble an insect thus encouraging pollination. Not only does the flower resemble the female insect, it emits a scent, much like a pheramone, to dupe the male insect in believing it is copulating with an actual female insect. Amazing! Here is the link to the article. Enjoy!

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22012555-1702,00.html

Sincerely,
Steve Peralta

Importing Orchid Plants - New CITES Rules

To all interested in the subject of Orchid species and hybrids as imports or exports,
Recent changes in CITES requirements have made itdifficult for nurseries, and hobbyists alike tonot only import plants from foreign countriesdirectly but even acquire them from nurseries inthe country in which hobbyists and professional growers live.
In the US for example the requirements are that anursery must now have a master permit. Everyplant to be exported whether it is a species orhybrid must be approved by the US Fish andWildlife authorities with information on thepropagation methods (whether from seed, cuttingsor cloning techniques) if not then whom theplants were purchased from with receipts, potsizes of plants in stock, annual production,number of plants to be exported each year,whether parental stock is maintained and howmany, from seed or cuttings etc. and number of years in production.
Imagine filling out such a permit (in my case ittook 250 hours) and then imagine it taking 9months to a year to get it. The idea is that onceyou get this permit single issue copies arepurchased in advance and the nursery owner canfill them out when orders are received and shipthem out rather quickly compared to the oldsystem of waiting 3-6 months for a single usepermit. In the mean time orders cannot beprocessed and commercial growers are put insituation of economic hardship. Adding any newplants to your permit requires all the samedetailed information, costs a lot and there is noguarantee that the permits will arrive in atimely manner. Several US growers have given upon exports and many more will follow suit.
Hybrids have become another problem, as one hasto either be approved for specific hybrids on themaster permit or have to be approved for specificspecies that make up the hybrid. At the momentyou have to list on your permit the species thatmake up the hybrids that you want to export. Thistakes a great deal of time and is reallycounterproductive. It often requires 20 to 35hours to complete a permit. The US Fish andWildlife service has come up with a way ofamending your permit to accept hybrids but itstill requires reporting and is limited to certain hybrids.
The various countries management authorities andCITES officials are, I believe unaware of thegreat advances in the laboratory production oforchids that have taken place within the past fewyears. Nurseries are now able to reproduce inreasonable numbers those plants that were onceconsidered difficult or even impossible toproduce. The continued over-regulation ofartificially propagated plants and the nurseriesthat produce them is in my opinion a completewaste of CITES resources. The entire reason CITESwas created in the first place was to protectwild populations of living organisms that werethreatened by trade. This is what it says in thefirst paragraph on<http://www.cites.org/>www.cites.org home page,?CITES (the Convention on International Trade inEndangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is aninternational agreement between governments. Itsaim is to ensure that international trade inspecimens of wild animals and plants does notthreaten their survival.? If anything the rapidartificial production and propagation of orchidplants helps to ensure that wild stock willremain where it is. Many of our nurseries arereally no longer trading in wild stock at all. Why over-regulate it?
Recent examples of how things have changed can befound in PERU where no wild collecting for exportis allowed. All plants must now be produced atthe approved nurseries from seed or division ofestablished stock. Phragmipedium kovachii wouldnever have been allowed for export legally exceptfor the work of serious nursery owners and thePeruvian government. By allowing a few plants tobe collected and used for seed propagation viatissue culture these plants are now all over theworld and the demand for wild plants no longerexists. Other countries like Ecuador and Brazil are following suit.

If continued restriction and over-regulationcontinues in its present state there will be lessand less plants available and eventually thehobby itself will be threatened. Orchid Societiesmemberships would begin to decline, as therewould be no new plant material for hobbyists tobe interested in. Nurseries interested in growingand exporting species or hybrids have alreadydeclined in The US and other parts of the globe.The process or acquiring export permits hasbecome so onerous that some nurseries have chosento give up their export business. Many withoutthe ability to export will not survive.
There is an important synergy between OrchidSocieties, hobbyists and commercial growers.Without commercial growers there would be fewhobbyists. Without hobbyists there would be noorchid societies. The articles written about neworchid species or hybrids would fall on deaf earsif the plants being written about were notavailable to hobbyists in a legal, artificiallypropagated manner. We are all interdependent onone another and it would be good if we spoke with one harmonized voice.
Nurseries (world-wide) are experiencingtightening restrictions and it would seem thatCITES officials want a reduction in trade of any kind.
No one can argue with the good intentions ofCITES namely the protection of species in thewild. No one can argue that each country?sdepartment of agriculture has the important jobof controlling the introduction of new pests anddiseases through the importation of plants. Theseare not issues that nursery owners havecontentions with. What we are concerned about andwhat we hope Orchid Societies and hobbyists wouldshow their concern with is a movement withinCITES in what many growers feel is the wrongdirection and that is the increasing regulationand control in the trade of truly artificially propagated plants.It is time for change regarding trade of Orchidsand other plants that are truly artificiallypropagated. The direction of this reform wouldinclude a radical change in the way that Orchids are regulated in trade.
My proposal is simple in concept:
1.Protect all wild orchids by elevating the wholegroup to appendix 1 status. 100 years ago therewere 1.5 billion people on the planet. Todaythere are some 6.5 billion and in a little morethan 40 years that number will grow to over 9billion people demanding land and timber.Tropical rainforests are now estimated to befalling at the rate of 5 acres per 2.4 seconds.Protecting all orchids to the highest level willbe required sooner or later. Why not make the change now?
2.Certify nurseries that are truly growing, orbuying for resale orchids that are artificiallypropagated. Let those certified nurseries tradefreely with a certification number or stamp whichwould be recognized and accepted by all signatorymembers of the CITES treaty. Nurseries that arealready certified for export would automaticallybe given the Certification stamp or number toallow free trade of the plants they produce or trade in.
These changes include not allowing any wildcollection for export of any Orchid plants unless for the following reasons:
1. A nursery in the country of origin wouldwant to add a small number of wild plants totheir breeding stock say 5 ?12 plants of anygiven species. These wild collected plants wouldhave to have approval and supervision from thecountry of origin management authorities and thatthe collection of said plants would not provedetrimental to the wild population. These plantscould not be exported but used only for breedingstock. Only seedlings or mature plants derived from seed could be exported.
2. In the case of a rescue operation whereorchid plants are going to be destroyed due todevelopment the plants could be collected withgovernment permission given to approved nurseriesin the country of origin. Once the plants arecollected they could not be sold for a period of2-3 years when the plant would then becomeestablished and would have grown out of thejungle growth. These plants would then trade on aCITES permit as rescued and would require thatdistinction on the plant labels and any CITES orPHYTO paperwork with actual import permit numbersand dates along with the ?rescued? designation.These requirements would only apply to theoriginal export from the country of origin, afterthat the plants could be traded without permitsbut would require that only CITES certifiednurseries could trade or re-export them.
3. Appendix I, or Appendix II? Why have 2 permits? Giving all wildorchid plants (only) Appendix 1 status wouldeliminate the need for export permits for artprop plants at all as wild plants would becompletely protected from collecting andreselling except by the processes outlined above.This would in effect remove truly art prop plantsfrom the treaty except for the certification ofthe nursery in question and the plants itproduces or trades in from other certified nurseries.
Flasked seedlings:
There is a lot of confusion about flasked Orchidseedlings and what is legal and what is not. TheCITES treaty clearly states that any and allorchid seedlings traded in vitro are exempt fromCITES regulations as long as a phyto accompaniesthem. Different countries have differentinterpretations as to what this means. The US forinstance will allow flasked seedlings of anyorchids into the country but once they come outof flasks one must be able to prove that theparents were legal. This is an impossible taskand flawed in terms of legality. If illegalaliens come into the US and have a child thatchild is an automatic US citizen. Plants IN VITROshould be considered in the same light. They arein the final definition of the treatyArtificially propagated plants. I am notcondoning the illegal collecting of wild orchidplants for the purpose of exporting seedlings inflask, I am just saying that it is impossible tocontrol or regulate the movement of seedlings inflask under the present definitions of the treaty.

Certified nursery proposal in need of your help.
The biggest change I would like to propose isthat nurseries be certified for export ofArtificially propagated plants and that thisCertification would allow Orchid plants soproduced to be traded without a formalcomplicated, highly detailed permit but justrequire a CITES nursery certificate number orstamp in a CITES permits place. The program wouldstill be under CITES control but the need forlengthy accounting for any of the plants producedshould be greatly reduced or better yeteliminated. Nurseries that have been dealing withmanagement authorities for many years should havean easy transition into the new process.Nurseries that are applying for a newcertification would have to go through acertification process in the beginning but as anursery?s inventory grows by propagation oracquisition (this would be for art prop materialonly as wild collecting would no longer beallowed) there would be no need to keep reportingall of the art prop stock acquired, bred ordivided to the management authorities.
My worldwide goal is for interested orchidgrowers whether hobbyist or commercial and Orchidsocieties to consider these proposed changes inthe treaty, make adjustments if necessary, gain aconsensus, sign documents of support for thechanges and petition the CITES managementauthorities within each regulated country as wellas the responsible CITES officials inSwitzerland. If we can do this in significantnumbers than the CITES officials should respondand help create positive change.
I would appreciate it very much if interestedparties would comment on my ideas and at somepoint I would like to present the proposal to theproper officials here in the US and Switzerland.
If you agree with the above plan I need a letterof support by e-mail. If you would like to debatethese ideas it is best done on the forums where I have posted this proposal.

President of the Orchid Society of Pakistan

President of the Orchid Society of Pakistan, Razia Aizazuddin...started growing orchids 40 years ago...She once picked up a small pot of an apparently withered plant...she... repotted it, crushed Naphthalene (Camphor balls) and placed a fewpinches of these in the pot along with water for a few days. Within fivedays, her experiment resulted in the plant's miraculous recovery and shesucceeded in learning a new way to save dying orchids....The society holds meetings every second month, arranges seminars,excursions and takes part in the annual flower show after which it takesout its annual newsletter...Aizazuddin believes that coco chip and charcoal suit orchids best...the Orchid Society of Pakistan was formed in 1997... it now has more than100 members"

URL : http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=62731

Mocassin Flower AKA Lady Slipper Orchid

Beautiful article, see: http://www.grandmarais-mn.com/placed/index.php?sect_rank=5&story_id=233669

Sincerely,
Steve Peralta
1888Orchids.com

OrchidWiz Orchid Database

The world's most complete and accurate orchid research software, the OrchidWiz Orchid Database. Fully up-to-date through June 2007 with the Royal Horticultural Society's (RHS) Sander's hybrid registrations and American Orchid Society's (AOS) awards.
See: http://www.orchidwiz.com/

Orchids For Everyone

Although an orchid fossil was found in rocks of the Eocene Epoch in Italy, about 45 million years old, orchids originated from the same ancestral stock as the amaryllis (Amaryllidaceae) and the lilies (Lilliaceae). Orchids are classified as part of the family Orchidaceae and are the most common type of flowering plant, in terms of number of species. Orchids constitute 7% of all flowering plants. Some taxonomists recognize as many as 35,000 species in 1,000 genera. They are found all over the world, in all climates, from the Arctic to the tropics, but not in the desert. The vast majority are tropical or subtropical and can be found growing in the wild.

Visit: http://www.growingedge.com/magazine/featured_articles/view_article.php3?AID=090555

Cooking Recipes with Vanilla from the Vanilla Orchid

Here's the article:
http://www.press-citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070620/FEATURES02/706200301

Hawaiian Jewel Orchid Threatened by Volcano

"latest phase of Kilauea's eruption could possibly endanger some plant andanimal species native to Hawaii.
... the area where the lava flow surfaced contains the park's 2,500 acreEast Rift Rainforest. The area is protected [how ?] from invasive,non-native plants...
The lava flow... threatens a number of rare plant species including... thisrare jewel orchid [Anoectochilus sandvicensis]."
URL : http://www.khnl.com/Global/story.asp?S=6683023&nav=menu55_2
Regards,

Steve Peralta
1888Orchids.com

Stanhopea: Chocolate Vision 'Solid Pleasure'

How one bloom led an orchid hobbyist to grow a thousand plants.
By Susan Wiedmann Contributor to The Christian Science Monitor
Page 1 of 3
San Jose, Calif. - Imagine fragrant six-inch orchid blooms resembling colorful birds in flight or space aliens with open jaws.
In the 1980s, orchid hobbyist Douglas Pulley became so captivated by the dramatic appearance of these exotic Stanhopea orchids that he began hybridizing them, a painstaking procedure. Because of his skill in choosing compatible parents for his hybrids, Dr. Pulley, an ophthalmologist, remains the world's most successful Stanhopea breeder and is also a hybridizer of scores of more than 200 other orchids.

Protecting Orchids Against Aunts with Borax

We find a good way to control ants in the greenhouse, rock garden, around the house generally is to add borax ,available in large supermarkets--at least here in Canada-- to Carnation millk until a stiff paste is produced. We add a little red coloring.Mix thoroughly and drop little 'cookies" onto wax paper. In a few days the cookies will become solid and they can be placed along the ant paths or in pots, etc. Be sure to keep them away from kids and pets. Borax carried to the queen usually cleans up the sand piles. Good luck... OGD
Jim Brasch Plant Hormones
CanadaBurlington, Canada.

Rainwater on Orchids

Rain is a type of precipitation which forms when separate drops of water fall to the Earth's surface from clouds. Not all rain reaches the surface; some evaporates while falling through dry air. Rain that falls to the earth is great for orchids.
My friend Juan uses rainwater by collecting it in 50 gallon drums. He doesn't use rainwater all the time on his orchids since it never rains in Southern California (that's a title to a son by the way). The drums are attached to his gutter system at home. Every time it rains, the drums overflow with water that he uses on his orchids. Using rainwater has a positive effect on orchids because it is low conductivity water. Mix it with your favorite fertilizer and you will see a big difference in the size and color of your orchids.
Steve
1888Orchids.com

Chocolate Scented Orchid
Our Chocolate scented orchid will satisfy their craving for a beautiful and long lasting orchid that has a beautiful scent that smells like vanilla and chocolate. Here is the popular chocolate scented orchid presented in a beautiful Asian style basket adorned with living sheet moss. The flower stem of our chocolate scented orchid can extend up to three feet long. The stem is adorned with beautiful fragrant, mahogany colored flowers.

Controlling Ants Around Orchids

Here's an interesting trick used for getting rid of aunts around your orchids. Ants can raise havoc in a greenhouse and proper control of these pests is important. Some orchids like Cattleya orchids are a magnet for aunts because the little creatures love the nectar Cattleya plants produce. Maybe this will help... I got this from a post on the OGD.

Mix two cups of sugar with one cup of water. Add in twotablespoons of boric acid ("Roach Pruf," etc.). Check the labels onpowdered cockroach killers; they may be 99%+ boric acid. Dissolveboth components, and then saturate cotton balls with the solution. Put cotton balls in jars with lids. Punch a hole in the lidfor ants to get in. Baby food jars are ideal. Put the "bombs" wherethe ants are found. The jars sequester the cotton balls so they don't get wet,and pets can't get to them. Even if they could, boric acid has verylow mammalian toxicity, and is much safer than most commercialpesticides. Borax (the commercial laundry cleaner) may also work, but won't eat it. Too little, and it won't work. I've wiped out entire ant colonies with the bombs that commercial pesticides wouldn't touch. You may have to play with the quantities. Too much, and the ants won't eat it. Too little, and it won't work. Another solution is fipronil (Maxforce, Over 'n Out, Regent,Termidor). It's safe enough with mammals that the applied ticktreatment "Frontline" uses the stuff to systemically poison parasites on pets. My "advice" (whatever that's worth) is no substitute forreading the label.

Cheers,
-AJHicks
Chandler, AZ

Added New Picture to My Profile

There is a new picture of me on my profile in case you are wondering what I look like. This picture was taken at the Hoehn Porsche dealership in Carlsbad, California. One dream of mine is to own a Porsche 911 Carrera so we visited this local Porsche dealership where I was able to touch and feel a Porsche 911 Carrera. Now I have to imagine myself owning one and hopefully it will manifest itself. It is interesting when you start imaging yourself owning something you really want, your thoughts become that what you are focused on.
Steve
1888Orchids.com

Fragrant Orchid
The fragrant orchid Oncidium Sharry Baby "Sweet Fragrance" is the popular oncidium orchid that smells like chocolate! This orchid has won an Award of Merit from the American Orchid Society. It produces beautiful one inch blooms that grow off branches on a spike that can grow up to four feet long. A great orchid for the beginner with a beautiful fragrance. Cross: (Onc. Jamie Sutton Onc. Honolulu) Bloom Season: Fall to Spring, Pot Size: Five Inch, Mature Plant. Limited quantity in February otherwise we have this orchid avaiable in bloom year-around. We offer a 100% Freshness Guarantee so you can buy with confidence.
NOTE:One of the most difficult things to do when describing an orchid is describing its fragrance. A fragrant orchid emits a scent that may be difficult to describe in words. Some orchids smell tart, like citrus while others more musty like a rose. Our fragrant orchid Oncidium Sharry Baby "Sweet Fragrance" really smells like chocolate. Actually the smell is more like chocolate and vanilla. The scent is very pleasant and the fragrance can fill a small room. As the day progresses, the scent becomes stronger. Send our fragrant orchid to someone at work and the orchid will be the talk of the office. Imagine the look on their face when they see and smell this very special fragrant orchid. As a house warming gift, add your special card message with a note of congratulations and your gift is complete.

Happy Father's Day

Father's Day is Sunday, June 17, 2007. Don't forget to give your dad a big hug and tell him you love him very much. While you are at it, send him an orchid!
Steve
1888Orchids