Hawaii Orchids
When you step of a plane in Hawaii, you are greeted by an aloha and a beautiful orchid lei is placed on your neck. Orchids and Hawaii are continually linked: with this beautiful flower seen as sign of welcome to foreigners from the Hawaiian natives. However, there are only three Hawaii orchids that were naturally endemic to this state.
Liparis Hawaiensis:
This orchid is fairly rare, found in the rain forests in Hawaii high up in the trees. Typically, you can see this plant blooming from May to November, 2000 to 5000 feet up into the tree canopies. Unlike the colourful large blooms that you see in leis, this orchid is a tiny flowered orchid species, usually green in color.
Anoectochilus sandvicensis
Often called jewel orchids, this orchid can be found in most of the Hawaiian islands. Out of the three endemic orchids, this orchid is the most common. If you are looking to find a jewel orchid in its natural environment, take a journey through the rain forests. These plants will usually be found between 1000 and 5000 feet up in the trees.
Platanthera Holochila
The third natural variety of Hawaii orchids is the Plantanthera holochila or the fringed orchid. This orchid is very rare, so rare, that it is now on the Endangered species list. The flowers are fairly small and are greenish, yellow in color. These plants are terrestial in nature, and if you’re lucky enough to find one, it will usually be in a bog or a swampy, shady area.
So where do all of the other orchids come from?
Hawaii’s warm, humid environment, is a natural breeding ground for Hawaii orchids. As a direct result, several varieties of orchids have been imported and breed throughout the islands. The botanical gardens in Hawaii house thousands of gorgeous varieties of orchids. If you are a true orchid lover, take the time to travel to these gardens and immerse yourself into the world of orchids.
Dendrobium orchids are one of the more popular varieties that are being farmed throughout the islands. These orchids are farmed and then marketed for a variety of consumer needs, from house plants to producing leis. If these orchids are for you then you need to learn all about dendrobium care.
However, even with the development of orchid farms throughout the states, it is still nearly impossible to keep up with the demands from the natives and tourists for leis. Consequently, a lot of the orchids found in leis have been imported from Asia, Thailand in particular.
Orchid Culture in Hawaii travels to the rest of North America
Although Hawaii may not have a large amount of natural varieties, this state has helped build this beautiful flower’s exotic popularity. Without this exposure, our homes and garden centres in North America may not have been blessed with the many varieties that we see today.
