mediterranean Orchids

Tim and Jason,
 
As you likely know, even the hardier terrestrial orchids that are readily available [Pleione, Bletilla] are from summer-rainfall regions, and hardly Mediterranean. And the epiphytes whether tropical or subtropical also tolerate at best short rainless periods.
 
But the Mediterranean itself is home to an amazing wealth of dryland orchids, most of these in a complex of related genera that includes Orchis, Ophrys, and Serapias and several smaller genera. These orchids often grow in showy roadside patches with several or as many as a dozen species growing together, and often easily spotted at 100 km/hour. The abundance and diversity of there orchids is especially amazing to a western American, since nearly all of our local  native orchids are either wetland or woodland specialists, and few of ours are either common or showy.   Some species of the Orchis alliance range northward into northern Europe [notably the chalk downs of southeastern England], but they are primarily winter-green, summer dormant habit; like many bulbs they are perfectly adapted to Mediterranean climate. Many members of this group are grown in Northern Europe in containers, usually in unheated greenhouses, but the wh! ole group has potential for cultivation in open gardens in areas with Mediterranean climates. A large number of species and some hybrids are available for sale, grown from seed in the lab.  The hitch is that the growers are primarily English and German, and CITES certificates will add to the cost of importing to other continents. 
 
Anyone interested in trying this group out in the open garden might start with one of the man-made intergeneric hybrids of Serapias and Orchis.  In addition to having hybrid vigor, these crosses appear often to be vigorously rhizomatous [from the Serapias] and showy [especially where the parent is Orchis italica or O. papillionacea]. Or you might try one of the Serapias species or the tall, showy "Jersey Orchid" [Orchis laxiflora], which also seems to be rhizomatous.  Since one CITES certificate will cover an unlimited number of plants of one genus, get some friends together and make a group order!
 
These orchids are normally shipped only as dormant tubers in spring-summer, but see the website of one grower for an idea of the potential: www.ground-orchids.de.  Also see the British Hardy Orchid Society: www.hardyorchidsociety.org.uk.
 
 
loren russell
corvallis, oregon, usa
 
PS: Perhaps someone would like to describe dryland orchids in the Southern Hemisphere Mediterranean climates. I know there are characteristic orchid genera in each of the southern subtropical/temperate areas, but I have no idea if any are characteristic of summer-dry climatic zones.
-------------- Original message --------------

> Dear Tim,
> Which Chinese ground orchids do you have?
> I too attended the orchid show and was reminded of how
> few terrestrial medit-climate orchids are grown here
> in California. I presume it must relate to CITES and
> other conservation considerations, as there appear to
> be a wealth of Mediterranean, Australian, Asian, South
> African and orchids from other lands that one might
> succeed in cultivating in medit climates, with and
> without irrigation. I suppose too there are soil and
> mycorrhizal considerations, but I know of no
> terrestrials commonly available beyond Bletilla and
> perhaps Pleione.
> As for epiphytes, they're in a difficult category as
> garden (vs. green- or lath-house) plants in a climate
> with a ! six-month summer dry season. Here in fog-belt
> San Francisco there are lots of epiphytic orchids one
> can grow outdoors, but very few that might survive on
> fog drip alone - though I'd love to hear of anyone
> who's tried it. My own neglect of my epiphytic orchids
> approaches such an experiment sometimes... ;-)
> Here are genera I've grown in the past - Cymbidiums,
> Dendrobiums (Aussie and high-altitude Asian &
> Australasian), Masdevallias, Restrepias and other
> Pleurothallids, Laelias, Epidendrums, Sophronitis,
> Sarcochilus, Sedirea, Zygopetalum, Holcoglossum,
> Paphiopedilum, Odontoglossum, Coelogyne, Sedirea,
> Angraecum...but I still want to get my hands of Earina
> autumnalis and Dendrobium cunninghamii from NZ.
>
> Speaking of epiphytes, there are so native few
> vascular epiphytes on the US West Coast (vs NZ or
> Chile) but I hear there's! a documentary about a
> researcher who's done work in the cano py of redwood
> forests and found massive Polypodium scouleri colonies
> (one of the few common vascular epiphytes around here)
> and other, previously unimagined, biota up there.
> Cheers,
> Jason Dewees
>
> --- Gayle & Tim Kalman
> wrote:
>
> > Dear All,
> >
> > This weekend I attended the San Francisco Orchid
> > Society Pacific Orchid expo. I have always fancied
> > orchids, but you know how it is, so many plants so
> > little time. Of course I returned home with a car
> > full of orchids. So my attention has been refocused
> > on the orchids in my garden.
> > I have several different Chinese ground orchid
> > varieties in my garden. As well as a couple
> > varieties of our native giant stream orchids. And I
> > also grow Australian Dendrobiums in shaded area! s (in
> > pots). I was very surprised to learn of the great
> > many other varieties of orchids that we can grow
> > outdoors here in the San Francisco bay area.
> > Do any of you all also grow orchids in your
> > Mediterranean gardens?
> >
> > Tim Kalman
>
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