Orchid cultivation is so widespread today that it is diffcult to imagine a world without these marvelous flowers. Yet, not very long ago, the people of the developed world were totally in the dark about the overwhelming majority of orchid species.
Europeans naturally knew about their native orchid species, such as the much acclaimed Bee Orchid. But familiarity with of the many amazing tropical orchids had to await the results of explorations into the jungles and mountains of South America and the eastern Indies. Even then, orchid specimens were quite slow to make their way back to England and other European countries.
Possibly the first living orchid to be carried from the tropics to England was an Epidendrum cochleatum, one of the more showy of its family. It flowered in London in 1787. Another species from the same orchid family was brought in to England in the year 1778. It took 10 years for its caregivers to bring forth flowers from the plant.
Admiral Bligh, of Bounty fame, took 15 species of epiphytal orchids to England from the West Indies some time in the early 1790s. These were put on display at the famous Kew Gardens in London. For many years thereafter the West Indies, along with India, were the main sources of tropical orchids for Europe. In 1793, however, a species of Oncidium was taken to England from Panama, followed several years later by some orchids from Uruguay.
By 1818, Brazil in partcular was contributing to what was becoming a steady flow of orchids back to England and other European lands. By 1830 the Royal Horticultural Society had collectors traveling throughout Brazil looking for rare species.
The orchid trade quickly turned into a serious money making effort, with businessmen in Brazil making arrangements with their counterparts in London to ship plants to England for resale there. William Harrison, a stationed in Rio de Janeiro in the 1830s and 1840s, sent many wonderful orchids to his brother Richard in Liverpool. Richard's house soon became a magnet for orchid fanatics who pilgrimaged there to see the newest arrivals.
It was one thing to introduce orchids to Europe, but another thing completely to cultivate orchids succesfully. It has truly been said that for more than half a century, England was the graveyard of tropical orchids. The plants that survived did so in spite of rather than because of the handling they received. Growers kept experimenting and making mistakes until, by about 1850, they had largely worked out the art of orchid cultivation. That's when the orchid craze really exploded, because now the knowledge was available by which even non-botanists could grow these stunning plants.
Knowledge of how to successfully grow orchids has increased during the intervening years and now we know so much more than did those Victorian devotees. We also have, of course, better technology to aid us in the greenhouse and garden.
The most thorough guide to today's orchid growing, in the opinion of many, is Orchid Care Expert by Nigel Howard, which may be downloaded from the web. Mr. Howard's guide is a complete education in itself, suitable for beginners as well as the more experienced. Also, check out the Orchid Secrets web site, which has a growing library of information on many topics of orchid cultivation.
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