Do you think orchids come from hot, steamy jungles? Some orchids do, but others come from mountainous areas where it’s always cool and misty.
Do you think orchids come from hot, steamy jungles? Some orchids do, but others come from mountainous areas where it’s always cool and misty.
In Hawaii, your elevation determines which orchids will do best for you.
If you try to grow a warmth-loving orchid in cool Volcano, or a cool-growing type in warm coastal Hilo, it will just grow leaves and never bloom. Luckily, some orchids aren’t fussy and will bloom anywhere on the island.
These include Cattleyas, the classic corsage orchids. And commercial orchid growers have been breeding to make orchids more temperature-tolerant. Cymbidiums, originally from the Himalayas, used to need cool temperatures to bloom. New hybrids will grow warm.
But not all orchids are so tolerant. How can you tell if an orchid will bloom for you?
Ask the experts at the upcoming Hilo Orchid Society Orchid Show and Sale from Aug. 7-9 at the Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium in Hilo. There you can see thousands of orchids on display, both warm- and cool-growing, and you can talk to the commercial growers selling orchids.