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A Little Orchid History
Orchid appreciation is so widespread these days that it is diffcult to picture a world without these wonderful flowers. Yet, not so long ago, the people of the developed world were entirely in the dark about the vast majority of orchid species.
Europeans of course were familiar with their local orchid types, such as the extravagant Bee Orchid. But knowledge of the thousands of splendiferous tropical orchids had to await the results of explorations into the jungles and mountains of South America and the eastern Indies. Even then, specimens only slowly found their way to England and other parts of Europe.
Probably the first living orchid to be carried from the tropics to England was an Epidendrum cochleatum, one of the more showy of its genus. It flowered in London in 1787. Another speciman from the same family was brought to England in the year 1778. It took ten years for its caregivers to bring forth flowers from it.
Admiral Bligh, of Bounty fame, brought 15 species of epiphytal orchids to England from the West Indies some time in the early 1790s. These were planted at the famous Kew Gardens in London. For many years the West Indies, along with India, were the principal sources of tropical orchids for Europe. In 1793, though, a species of Oncidium was transported to England from Panama, followed several years later by orchids from Uruguay.
By 1818, Brazil was at the forefront of was contributing to what had become a steady flow of orchids back to England and other European countries. By 1830 collectors were combing throughout Brazil on behalf of the Royal Horticultural Society, seeking out unusual orchid varieties.
The orchid trade very soon was transformed into a serious profit making endeavor, with businessmen in Brazil working out arrangements with their counterparts in London to send plants to England for resale there. William Harrison, a merchant living in Rio de Janeiro in the 1830s and 1840s, shipped many wonderful orchids to his brother Richard in Liverpool. Richard's house soon became a magnet for orchid devotees who journeyed there to see the newest arrivals.
Introducing orchids to Europe was one thing, but cultivating them successfully proved quite another. It has truly been said that for more than half a century, England was the graveyard of tropical orchids. The plants that survived did so in spite of rather than because of the treatment they received. Growers continuing experimenting and making mistakes until, by about 1850, they had largely worked out the art of orchid cultivation. That is when the orchid craze really took off, because now the knowledge was available by which even non-botanists could grow these stunning plants.
Knowledge of how to successfully grow orchids has increased during the intervening years and today we know so much more than did those Victorian enthusiasts. We also have, of course, better technology to assist us in the greenhouse and garden.
The most up-to-date guide to modern orchid care, many growers agree, is Orchid Care Expert by Nigel Howard, which is available to be downloaded from the web. Howard's clearly written guide will provide a complete immersion in the subject. Also, be sure to visit the Orchid Secrets web site, which has a growing database of postings on many aspects of orchid cultivation.
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