Unpopular opinion: the orchid show at the Botanic Garden was too much

I went to the spring orchid exhibit in San Francisco last weekend and honestly, I left feeling overwhelmed. Every table was packed with hybrid Phalaenopsis in bright pink and purple pots, all looking identical after the first 10 minutes. The native species section, maybe 15 plants total, got shoved against the back wall like an afterthought. Why do we celebrate these bred-up versions when our local Calypso orchids are disappearing from the coastal trails? Has anyone else visited a big flower display and felt like it missed the point of actual botany?

2 comments

2 Comments

ramirez.daniel14d ago

Those native orchids deserve better than wall duty.

oliver24213d ago

Came across an article last week about how orchid breeding has basically turned into a race for bigger blooms and brighter colors, and the genetic diversity is getting thinner every year. Makes total sense after seeing that show, every plant might as well have been a clone from the same factory line. The Calypso thing really stings too, I remember reading that their seeds basically need specific fungi in the soil to sprout, and we're paving over those spots while we cheer for the plastic-looking stuff. A good display should make people curious about wild orchids, not just sell them another pot they'll kill in six months.