News at Florida's Native and Naturalized Orchids

An educational photographic site dedicated to our natural treasures

• I have a new presentation available when speaking at your society, "Orchids In Our Backyard: Florida's Wild Orchids", Part 2, which introduces a new cast of characters taken from our wild areas in Florida.
• My two presentations "Orchids In Our Backyard: Florida's Wild Orchids", Part 1 and Part 2, have been very well received by all the orchid societies, garden clubs, and native plant societies where I have presented them. I generally schedule one talk a month, and I am nearly booked for all of 2011. If a society is within a short driving distance from the Orlando area, I will consider doing additional presentations during months where I am already booked further away. If not, please contact me and schedule for 2012. These are very popular programs, combining stunning photography, detailed information, and humorous anecdotes that will entertain and educate.
• In the October 2009 Edition of Orchids magazine (the American Orchid Society Journal), you will find an article I wrote (and took photos for) on our common and popular native orchid, Epidendrum magnoliae. The AOS publication has lately placed an emphasis on native orchids, with articles featuring US natives appearing monthly.
  
  
  
  Epidendrum magnoliae is a rather common epiphyte in the state of Florida, inhabiting about 3/4 of the state (becoming absent in extreme southern Florida). It ranges outside of Florida into coastal regions of other southeastern states on both the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, where its diminutive size allows it to hide in plain view in many hardwood hammocks and swamps, often nestled within colonies of resurrection fern (Pleopeltis polypodioides).
  
  In any case, pick up a copy of Orchids if you're not subscribed (and, while you're at it, order a subscription to the magazine) and enjoy the article.
  
  
• The April exhibit at Corkscrew Swamp has now ended. Thanks to all who visited and spent time looking at the photos (and hopefully learning a thing or two about our native orchids). I was told that one local orchid society made a point of visiting just to see the exhibit...I am deeply grateful and humbled by this.
   
• The Pogonia ophioglossoides and Cleistes bifaria pages have been converted from the older format to the new, improved format.
   
• October 28, 2008: The photo of Encyclia tampensis fma. albolabia 'Mendenhall' AM/AOS has now been added to the database and resides on the Encyclia tampensis page.
   
• September, 2008: A landmark book, produced by Selby Gardens, and authored by Peggy Alrich, Wesley Higgins, Bruce Hansen, Robert Dressler, Tom Sheehan, and John Atwood was released recently: Illustrated Dictionary of Orchid Genera.
  
  I have had the privilege of providing several photographs for this work. These include a photograph of Dendrobium leonis for the obsolete genus Aporum, a photograph of a wild Calopogon tuberosus for the genus Calopogon, a photograph of a wild Isotria verticillata for the genus Isotria, and a photograph of a wild Cleistes bifaria for the genus Cleistes. I am honored to have been asked to participate in this work, helping further educate the public about our native North American orchid species.
  
  This book can be ordered from Selby Gardens and/or Amazon.com via the following links (note: I do not profit in any way by the sale of this book):
  
  **Click to order the book from Selby Gardens.**
**Click to order the book from Amazon.com.**