Last week we named 3 Asian countries where you, as an orchid lover, must have been once. This week we extend this with 4 countries in South America where you must have been once to admire the beautiful tropical nature and the rare orchids this area has to offer. Are you curious what beautiful areas have separate flora? We would love to tell you!
1. Costa Rica
Costa Rica has a huge biodiversity and is home to a huge amount of native orchids. If you would like to admire these in the wild, be sure to take a look at the cloud and rain forests of this beautiful country.
In Costa Rica, the Cattleya skinneri occurs naturally in the cloud forests. This beautifully colored orchid is a real eye-catcher and is therefore regularly found in our assortment.
The Lepanthes is also common in the rain forests of Costa Rica. This orchid genus contains more than 800 species! They mostly grow epiphytically in the forests of tropical Costa Rica.
2. Ecuador
Then, of course, we have Ecuador. Another special country for nature and orchid lovers because of all that this diverse landscape has to offer. For example, the Andes Mountains are located in this country, as well as the Amazon rainforest. With the very diverse climate conditions in this country, this country is home to more than 4,000 orchid species! So this may be the epicenter of the orchid. Visit different elevations and you will find small habitats each time where specific species grow.
Dracula orchids find their origins here. The flowers that resemble bats or monkey heads are very telling to see. The Dracula Vampira, for example, is one of the blackest orchids in existence! They must be kept in a specific climate and only bloom for a very short time.
The Cattleya warscewiczii is another very special orchid that we can observe in the humid forests of Ecuador. This is one of the orchids that is perennially popular because of its insanely cool blooms and wonderful fragrance that comes off the flowers.
3. Colombia
This country has similar biodiversity to Ecuador due to the variety of inland climates in this country. This country has a variety of more than 3,500 orchids! Epiphytes grow mainly in the cloud forests and terrestrial orchids grow mainly in the Andes region.
The Oncidium papilio (or Psychopsis papilio) is named after a butterfly because of its distinctive appearance. This orchid is found in the Andes of Colombia.
The Catasetum is an orchid genus that usually has very distinct flower structures. You are more likely to find this orchid in the forests of Columbia.
4. Brazil
Brazil is usually a country where we think of beautiful people, good food and the beach. But for lovers of nature and orchids, this vacation country is also a must visit. In fact, Brazil also has a very diverse native flora. Among other things, there are more than 2,500 orchid species! You will find the most interesting nature in the Amazon rainforest and the Atlantic forests. These areas are both rich in orchids.
One fragrant orchid that you can find in the Atlantic forests of Brazil is the Cattleya labiata. This orchid has a beautiful bright pink color and large flowers. Moreover, this orchid crosses easily, so many hobbyists can also really appreciate this orchid.
The Maxillaria tenuifolia is a distinct orchid with mostly red color and 3 petals that are very striking because of their pointed shape. This orchid has flowers that give off a coconut-like scent. This orchid can be found in several countries, but can also be found in Brazil in the Amazon rainforests.
Tropical orchids in the home
Are you not a fan of long trips, or would you rather vacation at home all year round? Feel free to take a look at our web shop to see what special things are on our website!
