Cathy Isom begins her new series by telling us about some of the most extraordinary types of orchids. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours.
Orchids are some of the most intricate and unique plants you’ll ever lay your eyes on. They’re part of a beautiful and diverse family of herbaceous perennials that contains over 30,000 species. And that doesn’t include the growing number of hybrid varieties.
Some of the best varieties include the The Bee Orchid – that has flowers resembling a female bee visiting a dusky-pink flower head; Or, The White Egret Orchid — this endangered specimen’s flowers resemble miniature, pearly white birds in flight—both delicate and exquisite; The Fly Orchid — fitting to its common name, it has a flower inflorescence resembling a flying insect; and, the Monkey Face Orchid — a real beauty, this variety has strongly orange-scented flowers that resemble a monkey’s face. There’s even the Swaddled Baby Orchid — Its flowers resemble tiny babies wrapped in white swaddling cloths, hence its common name. All have exceptional coloring and features.
I’m Cathy Isom…