Orchids are the largest family of plants in the world. With 30,000 known species, you could acquire a different orchid every day for eighty years and still not grow them all. Back in the realm of reality, readers of this beautiful book can quickly and easily find the orchids that are right for them -- which ones will thrive on a windowsill, which prefer artificial lights, and which need a greenhouse; which are for beginners, which for experts. And you can pinpoint the species within a particular genus that are the best ones to start with. Once you select your orchid, William Cullina's authoritative guide explains what to do to keep it alive and healthy. Featuring more than two hundred color photographs, Understanding Orchids covers everything you need to know to grow orchids successfully, whatever your level of interest or experience. With improved tissue-culture techniques making orchids more affordable, and the Internet making them readily available to consumers, growing orchids is more popular than ever: membership in the American Orchid Society has more than doubled in the last fifteen years. This is the book orchid fans have been waiting for.

Orchids can bloom year after year. In this essential guide, Bruce Rogers, "The Orchid Whisperer", shares his expert tips from more than three decades of breeding and growing orchids. The book demystifies the growing process and features more than 100 lush color photographs of breathtaking plants. Best of all, it reveals professional secrets not found anywhere else for blooming, repotting, spotting hazards and pests, grooming, decorating, and much more. Perfect for beginners as well as orchid experts looking for new tricks, The Orchid Whisperer provides everything readers need to know to keep healthy orchids that will flower again and again!

The orchid is one of the most treasured flowers in the world. Now all the species and varieties of orchids are carefully detailed and categorized in this comprehensive guide. Compiled by Botanica's expert editors, this exhaustive reference stands alongside their equally impressive Annuals and Perennials, Trees and Shrubs, Roses, Gardening Encyclopedia, and Organic Gardening. Over 2,500 color photographs capture the beauty of the over 1,200 varieties of orchids listed. Complete with a reference table and glossary, this compendium is easy to use, portable, and modestly priced.

Long prized by collectors and specialist cultivators, orchids are commonly (and mistakenly, as it turns out) believed to be difficult to grow and maintain. In fact, many varieties are as easily grown as any other perennial.There are as many as 20,000 species with the family Orchidae, including plants that bear some of Earth's most showy and flamboyant flowers. This superb book presents a selection of the most exceptional orchids anywhere, all of which can be cultivated at home. But unlike other books on this topic, Four Seasons of Orchids is divided by the season in which they flower. Compiled by renowned orchid photographer Greg Allikas and recognized orchid expert (and American Orchid Society judge) Ned Nash, the book is organized into four parts, Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter, making it easy for any horticulturalist to plan his or her orchid year with dazzling displays of color. Full of magnificent, unique photographs and accompanied by a wealth of advice for their cultivation, this book is as beautiful as it is useful.

A complete, up-to-date resource on the best and most easily grown orchid species, hybrids, and cultivars are readily available in North America.Inspires gardeners to have confidence to grow these elegant plants successfully.Expert, critical information that is valuable to novice and experienced orchid lovers.Step-by-step instructions shows how to select, pot, stake, and care for orchids.Advice to ensure healthy orchids by controlling light, temperature, humidity, pests, and diseases.

Presents the appearance and needs of more than one hundred orchid species, including the newest varieties, and discusses where orchids grow in the wild, the conditions required, and how to grow orchids in a hothouse

Excellent, comprehensive guide — meticulously researched, clearly written and profusely illustrated — describes the characteristics and basic needs of hundreds of orchid species — from the thimble-sized Dendrobium frigidum to the large, fragrant blossoms of the Cattleya walkerana. Includes Encyclopedia of Representative Species.

Cattleyas are frequently called "the Queen of the Orchids," and Carl Withner's passion for them started before World War II. About 12 years ago he published the first in this series of six books, which now comes to a conclusion with this final volume. The South American Encyclia species have not previously been the subject of a book, and the genus presents many problems and difficulties. A few of the species are known from a single herbarium specimen and may well now be extinct because of the continuing loss of habitat. This volume also includes taxonomic and nomenclatural changes affecting species covered in the earlier volumes, as well as additions and changes to the text of each of the five volumes.

1500 orchid species are profiled in this authoritative, detailed, and carefully researched encyclopedia. Infinitely varied and hugely interesting, these strikingly beautiful plants are sumptuously illustrated with over 1000 photographs in a reference that no orchid lover can afford to be without. Isobyl la Croix is a scientist, plant hunter, and horticulturalist; her deep passion for orchids informs the plant selection and adds depth to the plant descriptions. The cultivation advice includes information about the orchid's native habitat—including elevation, geography, and climate. Recent developments in DNA analysis have led to some surprising findings with regard to the relationships between orchids, and the author has undertaken an extensive effort to bring all orchid names up-to-date to reflect the latest scientific thinking and taxonomy. From Acampe to Zygostates, no other serious reference approaches the depth and authority of this remarkable book.

Published in Association with Selby Botanical Gardens Press"The hundreds of orchid genera and thousands of species can seem unbelievably complex, but they are beautiful, mysterious, and alluring. Therefore we want reliable ways in which to refer to them―ways that will be understood by those who hear us or read our written communications about these plants. The Marie Selby Botanical Gardens Illustrated Dictionary of Orchid Genera will become a convenient reference for those many people who are fascinated by orchids. By referring to this guide, one can find a secure mooring for any species of orchid, one that makes it possible to understand its relatives and its place in the galaxy of orchid variation."―from the Foreword by Peter H. RavenThe Marie Selby Botanical Gardens Illustrated Dictionary of Orchid Genera is the most comprehensive and extensively illustrated account of orchid genera to date. Its concise entries provide details of nomenclature, classification, original publication, etymology, and geographic range, along with a brief description and color images of representative flowers. The dictionary describes not only all of the 850 orchid genera that are recognized today but also those genera known only from fossil records, published before Linnaeus, validly published (but not accepted), and invalidly published according to the standards of the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature, as well as those that have variant names or spellings. In addition to the alphabetic entries, this dictionary includes an introduction to orchid biology, a glossary, a list of taxonomists credited with publishing new orchid genera, key references and bibliographical abbreviation list, and the governing nomenclature rules. The Marie Selby Botanical Gardens Illustrated Dictionary of Orchid Genera also features a Foreword by Peter H. Raven and an Introduction on the biology of orchids by David Benzing that describes the August 2007 discovery of the world's oldest unequivically orchidaceous fossil.The Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in Sarasota, Florida, are extensive botanical gardens dedicated to research and collections of epiphytes, especially orchids and bromeliads, and their canopy ecosystems. The Gardens maintain the most diverse collection of bromeliads in the world and feature over 20,000 plants from some 6,000 species in 1,200 genera from 214 plant families, including 6,000 live orchids. This monumental work is yet another manifestation of the collection―an extension of the Gardens into print.

At once delicate, exotic, and elegant, orchids are beloved for their singular, instantly recognizable beauty. Found in nearly every climate, the many species of orchid have carried symbolic weight in countless cultures over time. The ancient Greeks associated them with fertility and thought that parents who ingested orchid root tubers could control the sex of their child. During the Victorian era, orchids became deeply associated with romance and seduction. And in twentieth-century hard-boiled detective stories, they transformed into symbols of decadence, secrecy, and cunning. What is it about the orchid that has enthralled the imagination for so many centuries? And why do they still provoke so much wonder? Following the stories of orchids throughout history, Jim Endersby divides our attraction to them into four key themes: science, empire, sex, and death. When it comes to empire, for instance, orchids are a prime example of the exotic riches sought by Europeans as they shaped their plans for colonization. He also reveals how Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution became intimately entangled with the story of the orchid as he investigated their methods of cross-pollination. As he shows, orchids—perhaps because of their extraordinarily diverse colors, shapes, and sizes—have also bloomed repeatedly in films, novels, plays, and poems, from Shakespeare to science fiction, from thrillers to elaborate modernist novels. Featuring many gorgeous illustrations from the collection of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Orchid: A Cultural History tells, for the first time, the extraordinary story of orchids and our prolific interest in them. It is an enchanting tale not only for gardeners and plant collectors, but anyone curious about the flower’s obsessive hold on the imagination in history, cinema, literature, and more.

A complete guide for planning, planting, and caring for orchids Better Homes and Gardens® Orchid Gardening makes it simple to grow and maintain gorgeous orchids year-in and year-out. Even if you've never grown an orchid, this straightforward and comprehensive guide for people of all gardening skill levels will show you how to get it right the first and every time. With colorful diagrams, helpful checklists that make shopping and planning a breeze, and easy-to-follow directions for all kinds of projects, it's the perfect guide to planning and maintaining your dream orchid collection. Chapters include a primer on understanding orchids, a glossary of orchid terminology, tips for selecting the best varieties for your region and situation, inspirational design ideas, and plant pairingsIncludes more than 525 gorgeous color photos throughout, including an orchid encyclopedia featuring more than 200 varieties of orchidsFeatures Better Homes and Gardens Test Garden tips and advice from the Better Homes and Gardens Garden Doctor throughoutPerfect for orchid lovers of any skill level, Orchid Gardening is the comprehensive, easy-to-use guide to selecting and caring for orchids.