Hawaii - The Hothouse of Orchids

Orchids are classic trademarks of Hawaii. We see them featuring in the movies; they take pride of place in garlands and are emblazoned upon many of the shirts that are characteristically worn and produced here. Homes all over the island will be adorned with Hawaii orchids and they appear to be in plentiful supply. They are truly part of the culture of this land.

The hot, humid weather of Hawaii is the perfect place for this charming plant to flourish and many kinds are cultivated here. The dendrobium variety, or flowers of the trees as they are often called, are raised here in especially high volumes.

Hawaii is largely responsible for promoting the reputation of this plant around the world and supplies many of the Hawaii orchids that are exported to North America and other places, this is actually a massive industry that contributes hugely to the economy here and is responsible for the creation of many jobs. In spite of this, there is still an astonishing number of orchids that are actually shipped into the state from other parts of the world, mainly from the Far East.

The people of Hawaii take orchid cultivating very seriously indeed, needless to say, these are the most popular flowers amongst the residents here. Many societies devoted to these Hawaii orchids have been formed as this appears to be a hugely popular hobby. There is even an Alliance of Professional orchid growers which supports farmers and encourages research and the furthering of related education into the cultivation and conservation of these species.

Surprisingly, there are only three rare kinds of orchids that occur here originally. Hawaii orchids are very hard to come by because they reside mainly in rain forests so as their habitat becomes increasingly threatened, so does their survival.

Liparis Hawaiensis

Also known as the Twayblade, these have tiny, delicate, greenish blooms and reside at very high altitudes in trees. They are very rare. Perhaps the best feature of this variety is its long blossoming life.

Platanthera Holochila

These grow on the ground in damp, shady regions and are incredibly hard to come by and one has not been seen on the island for some time. Appearance-wise, they are very understated and consist of yellowish-green buds extending from spike-like stems. Sadly, they have been officially classified as a threatened species and only the presence of a mere handful can be documented anywhere.

Anoectochilus Sandvicensis

These are seen more often than their other two relations and reside in similar habitats. Like the twayblade, they flower for a large proportion of the year and are comprised of an explosion of yellow blooms sprouting out of thick stems.

If you visit Hawaii, a wonderful treat would be to explore the many public gardens that house countless exquisite Hawaii orchids. Some of the horticultural Societies even have meetings and lectures that are delivered by professional experts and enthusiasts and can be attended by visitors or members of the general public; definitely worthwhile events.