Orchid appreciation is so widespread nowadays that it is hard to picture a world without these marvelous flowers. However, not so long ago, the inhabitantspopulace of the so-called civilized world were utterly in the dark about the overwhelming majority of orchid species.
Europeans of course were familiar with their native orchid species, such as the extravagant Bee Orchid. But familiarity with of the thousands of amazing tropical orchids had to await the results of explorations of the jungles and mountains of South America and the East Indies. Even then, orchid specimens were slow to make their way back to England and other European countries.
Probably the first living orchid to find its way 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 orchid family was brought in to England in 1778. It took a decade for its caretakers to bring forth flowers from the plant.
Admiral William Bligh of Mutiny on the Bounty fame had a small role in laying the ground for the orchid craze. In the early 1790s he brought 15 species of epiphytal orchids to England from the West Indies. These were planted at the well-known Kew Gardens in London. For many years thereafter the West Indies, along with India, were the most important 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 in partcular was contributing to what had become a steady stream of orchids back to England and other European countries. By 1830 collectors were traveling throughout Brazil on behalf of the Royal Horticultural Society, seeking out uncommon orchid species.
The orchid trade very soon turned into a serious moneymaking effort, with businessmen in Brazil making contracts with their opposite numbers in London to ship plants to England for resale there. William Harrison, a merchant in Rio de Janeiro in the 1830s and 1840s, shipped many wonderful orchids to his brother Richard in Liverpool. Richard's house quickly became a magnet for orchid enthusiasts who journeyed there to see the newest arrivals.
It was one thing to introduce orchids to Europe, but another thing entirely to cultivate orchids succesfully. For more than half a century England was known as the grave of tropical orchids. The plants that survived did so in spite of rather than because of the handling they received. Growers continuing experimenting and making mistakes until, by about 1850, they had mostly worked out the art of orchid cultivation. That's when the orchid craze really exploded, because now the knowledge was available by which even non-botanists could grow these stunning plants.
Knowledge of successfully growing orchids has greatly expanded during the intervening years and today we know so much more than did those Victorian devotees. We also have, of course, better technology to aid us in the greenhouse and garden.
The most up-to-date guide to modern orchid growing, hands down, is Orchid Care Expert by Nigel Howard, which can be downloaded online. Howard's well-written guide is a complete education all to itself. And, it is appropriate for those just starting out as well as more seasoned orchid growers. Also, be sure to visit the Orchid Secrets web site, which has a growing library of postings on all facets of orchid cultivation.
