Dendrobium

[Brock]

I was told this orchid is native to Costa Rica. I'm assuming its an alba

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Hi Brock,

Dendrobiums are native to Australasia and not at all to the Americas. They may do well in the Americas if the climate is appropriate.

It is likely a hybrid involving species in the Dendrobium phalaenopsis group (not the genus Phalaenopsis; so named because the flowers look like those of Phals; ) and perhaps the antelope group. Yes, it appears to be an alba flower with no pigment. It is very beautiful.

[Brock]

Thank you for the reply. I was hoping with the pacific islands and pacific coast there was a chance. I know there's an encyclia that varies in color depending on location and I think Costa Rica has the white colored one. It is so hard to find native Costa rican orchids even though there are thousands. I don't want to keep anything outside unless its native. Does that even matter? I don't want to encourage all the potential hybridizing. Would orchids even be considered invasive i don't think there would be competition. I'm really trying to focus on species. Even if it could hybridize it might be sterile. I think nature always balances itself out. I almost didn't buy it but I also thought it was beautiful. It looks really healthy except for some spots. I'll get some better pictures posted in the dendrobium section. I'm going to try to self it!

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Orchids from widely different genera won't hybridize. Dendrobiums aren't related to any of the orchid tribes in the Americas. I don't think there is any way Dendrobiums would hybridize with any American orchids, unless lab techniques were involved. It is very unlikely they would become invasive because their normal pollinators and their symbiotic fungi are on the other side of the world.

[Dalachin]

Andy's orchids has a feature of their advanced search that lets you search by country. There is a whole page of orchids that he lists as from Costa Rica. But of course this is only a miniscule selection of the richness of Costa Rican flora.

I agree though that if you are growing orchids outside, there is little to be concerned about. In the US, only a small portion of the plants available at a garden center are actually native species. There are some examples of plants that have become invasive after escaping cultivation, but this is a relatively rare occurance, usually only occurs in plants that reproduce rapidly, and as ES points out, orchids usually require specific conditions to reproduce. For example, Wild Parsnip (Pastinaca sativa) is thought to have escaped cultivation when it was brought over from Europe, but each plant can produce 1000 wind-dispersed seeds which readily germinate. Other problem invasives will reproduce complete plants from pieces of stems, seeds, or roots.

Orchids just don't have these mass reproduction strategies, which is part of why so many species are rare or extinct.

Having responsibly sourced native species in your garden or outdoor areas is a wonderful idea though, it helps preserve these species and can provide habitat for native insects and animals.

[Roberta]

Does Lankester Botanical Garden ever have sales of excess plants? They have a major orchid collection (species particularly) as well as many other types of plants of the region.. Being in Costa Rica, you should see what is possible to visit it at any rate.

[Brock]

I visited the Lankester website. I didn't see anything for sale, but I don't read Spanish well. There’s a botanical garden that someone told me I need to go. I know there's a cloud forest botanical garden in mounte verde that is close to were I visit that does sell orchids. I know these should be different post but other then temperature im curious what elevation would affect. I am also still researching Guarianthe skinneri. Blancas are somewhat common but I really wanted a white one with no splash. Now I want a lavender. I've seen them lite pink a darker pink the purplish. Some of what I see the septal and lips seem wider making me think its a hybrid. I know their in every central American country so maybe the colors just vary. I really like the white with the clean purple ring in the lip.

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I seem to recall Costa Rica has several climate zones due to elevation and also the rain shadow effect of mountains.