A Mardi Gras of Orchids at Naples Botanical Garden

This weekend was Orchid Mardi Gras at the Naples Botanical Garden in partnership with the Naples Orchid Society. The annual show went all out featuring a large parade of colorful orchids.

In keeping with the theme “Orchid Mardi Gras” I thought it might be fun to feature the orchids reflecting the colors and true spirit of Mardi Gras. If you’ve been to New Orleans during Mardi Gras, the city is blazing with the colors of purple, green and gold – the three most prominent colors of Mardi Gras. Royal purple represents pomp and grandeur; gold was a symbol for kings and green is the color of American money but nobody knew for sure why green was part of the trio.

The orchid world is a very large family representing a carnival of “blazing” tones and shades and purple colors can be found in many orchids ranging from single color purple or with dots and stripes. purple is a symbol of royalty, class and when selecting an orchid for someone you respect and admire, a purple orchid is a good choice.

The color gold is represented by yellow and orange orchids and these colors are my favorite. An orange orchid is like a bright ray of sunshine – it gives you that “pick me up” vibe. Some species are “tiger-striped” and others have blotches. 

Green is not a common color for orchids and it offers a distinctive rare quality when mixed with their multi-colored cousins. Green orchids come in vivid lemon lime, electric green, and lettuce green looking very fresh and making your friends turn “green with envy” if you have one in your collection. Traditionally, green orchids are symbols of good health, longevity and nature.

“Where did my orchid come from?” Visiting an orchid exhibit is like attending a beauty pageant – the best of the best in one setting. You probably received your orchid as a gift; and the giver bought it from a store or garden center. But where are orchids originally from? Were they grown locally? Are they native to a particular place or exported from some exotic tropical rain forest?

According to the American Orchid Society, in the wild orchids propagate or reproduce much the same way as other plants do. They begin life as seeds and an orchid seed pod can contain anywhere from a thousand seeds to millions of seeds. Once pollinated, the seeds spread out and when they find a favorable growing medium, like the bark of a tree, they will put down roots and begin to grow.  

Most likely your orchids and mine were grown from seeds in a controlled laboratory setting. According to orchid experts, 99% of the orchids today are grown in big warehouses simulating the orchid’s wild habitat. 

I wanted to visit a laboratory setting where orchid seeds are grown and this is where I met Dr. John Finer. He has a very popular YouTube program where he is known as The Plant Propagator. Dr. Finer is an Emeritus Professor in the Department of Horticulture and Crop Science at The Ohio State University, but his passion has always been orchids. After retiring and moving to Naples in 2021, John has been expanding his orchid collection and making new hybrids, focusing on Cattleyas.

I toured his laboratory where Dr. Finer showed me orchid embryos in petri dishes, seedlings in flasks (deli containers) and deflasked orchids in small starter containers. 

Below are samples of frequently asked questions about orchids and here are Dr. Finer’s answers: 

How long does it take for an orchid to flower? Three to five years from seed to flower.

How many seeds are in an orchid seed capsule? Orchid seed capsules can have 100,000 – 1,000,000 seeds.

Do most orchid seeds survive in nature? Orchids make a lot of seeds because few survive in nature.

Should I remove the old orchid flower spike? In some cases, the flower spike can make more flowers but if the spike is brown, trim it.