Addendum: They shouldn't go unnoticed

The following is an addendum to my post of December 28, 2023:

As I moved through the Conservatory's collection four rooms cleaning window sills, I had to handle many fascinating and endangered plants. I didn't have time to stop and appreciate them individually. But there were a couple notable exceptions where I just had to stop and admire the beauty, particularly the orchids.

Cattleya orchid

It is late December now, many orchid species are in full flower at this time of the year. They respond to cool nights in the 50s F and sunny days. Two species in common houseplant cultivation are the cattleya orchids with the familiar wide tongue-shaped leaves, and the cymbidium orchids with their reedy strap-like leaves. The flower shapes are also slightly different. There is huge variation in the orchid family (28,000 species, in every type of habitat except on glaciers). I've posted photos of some of my favorite orchids in the greenhouse in prior blogs - including a species from the desert!

Cymbidium orchid

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