There is nothing easy about breeding large yellow cattleyas.

Hybridizers have been trying fervently since 1901, when the very first attempt at combining two lemon-hued species took place. Since then, there have been hundreds or even thousands of pairings – mostly with disastrous results.

The first problem, as breeders soon discovered, is that the color yellow in cattleyas is hopelessly recessive and is nearly always lost when another color is introduced. For example, a yellow flower crossed with a white flower does not yield any yellows. In fact, it yields purple.

When a Senior Orchid Curator of a major botanical garden writes an orchid book, people take notice. They look again when gardening diva Martha Stewart adds her recommendation to the back cover. 

Public gardens across the country are trying to safely accommodate visitors who have been cooped up at home for months and want to experience a little freedom. Admission rules have tightened and reserved entrance times, mask requirements, and social distancing are now the norm. Still, there is much to see and orchids are leading the way. 

My father, Art Chadwick Sr., turns 90 this week and he credits his longevity to orchids. Since the age of 13, he has been collecting cattleyas and, to this day, he can’t wait to wake up in the morning and see what’s in bloom. His lifelong interest began rather innocently, as a teenager walking home from school.

Conventional wisdom says that plants need roots to survive. Yet, we regularly receive healthy looking orchids from clients which have few, if any, roots. Apparently, general horticulture rules do not apply to orchids.

Back in the 1920’s when corsages were the fashion in America, cut flower nurseries imported cattleya plants by the tens of thousands from the jungles of South America. Each orchid was removed from its host tree with a machete and nearly all the roots were lost in the scuffle. The hapless epiphytes were then slung into burlap bags for a weeks-long voyage at sea. 

New to the local orchid scene are Sarcochilus, charming petite plants from Australia that are already receiving a warm welcome here in the States. This genus grows naturally in the Aussie bush and it was just a question of time before these epiphytes became available everywhere. The timing is good because American hobbyists have mastered Phalaenopsis and are looking to try something different.

Hobbyists who now find themselves housebound have an opportunity to whip their orchid collection into shape like never before. Somewhere between the Victory Garden being planted and the flower beds being mulched, there is a sizable wedge of time that can be set aside for the “great move” in which indoor orchids are relocated outside. Tropical plants, after all, are happiest when they are exposed to nature’s breezes, humidity, and warmth. The “great move” can’t officially begin until night temperatures are at least in the mid 50’s which for most of us are in a month or so. 

“At the stroke of half past twelve, the auctioneer mounts his rostrum.” And so begins London’s weekly orchid sale of the 1890’s, where hundreds of exotic specimens are put up for bid. Amateurs, professionals, and their agents gather in the bustling Cheapside commercial district to peruse the epiphytes just brought in from the jungles.

There are two schools of thought when it comes to raising young orchids to maturity. The prevailing opinion is to grow genetically identical plants or ‘clones’ that have been pre-selected for superior vigor and flower quality. But there are dissenters who, instead, choose to propagate hybrids that are inherently full of surprises – some good, some bad, and most, about average.  

Next month, the United States Postal Service will be introducing ten new stamps that are sure to be a hit with plant lovers and outdoorsy people everywhere. The booklet features close-ups of orchid flowers and is the result of a lengthy process involving a slew of experts. It all started with an idea to showcase everyday Phalaenopsis hybrids but soon morphed into a pictorial catalog of exotic wild orchids.