Hawaiian Wild Orchids
Wild Nun Orchids pay us a visit every spring. Marise announced their arrival yesterday and I went crawling through the jungle to find not one or two, but a dozen scattered beneath the jungle canopy.
Little orange and pink clusters of wild West Indian Lantana keep the Nuns company.
Every spring I’m awe-struck by the orchids’ wild beauty in stark contrast to the jungle’s green chaos.
They blossom for four to six weeks and are five feet tall. The orchids can last a month in a vase but I resist the temptation to bring one home and simply absorb their grace, in place.
The sword-shaped snow-white leaves magnify the filtered jungle canopy light as they shade the delicate, purple-lipped blossoms.
Their official name is Phaius Tankervilliea and originated in southern China.
The Nun’s Orchid is named for its hooded flowers.
