The following question was received via email: Hi, I'm trying to find out if there is any connection between the UBC botanical garden and orchids. Someone told me that you were famous for them, but I can't find a thing about orchids on your website. Can you help me? Thanks.
Hello, Thanks for your question. Unfortunately, UBC Botanical Garden does not currently have a large collection of orchids. Historically, there was a fair collection of native orchids in the British Columbia Native Garden, but that collection has dwindled to only a few survivors. The reasons for this include theft (a major problem with orchids) and lack of funds to maintain or renew the collection. Orchids are notoriously difficult to establish in a cultivated setting, and must be constantly renewed from collected seed (orchids are never collected as plants except in "rescue" situations from construction or development). Sorry to disappoint! I'm unaware of any gardens in British Columbia that feature orchids, so my suggestion is enjoy them in their native habitat.
There are a few orchids in the E.H. Lohbrunner Alpine Garden here at the botanical garden. They are known as Dactylorhiza. When they entered the garden some years ago, they were Dactylorhiza maculata and Dactylorhiza fuchsii; however, in the many years in between then and now, hybrid swarms have developed, and we simply label them as 'Dactylorhiza hybrids'. They are found seeding happily about the garden, but they originate (as in nature) in the Europe section in the alpine garden. They normally grow in wet places in Europe, but have adapted to various locations in the garden. We also grow a number of Bletilla striata, the famous Japanese terrestrial orchid. It slowly spreads by rhizomes to form colonies, and is quite simple to grow in humus and shade. I hope this helps, at this late date. Brent Hine Curator E.H. Lohbrunner Alpine Garden UBC Botanical Garden & Cetnre for Plant Research
This is an old thread, but the title works. We found two orchids today. One of the gardeners told us this is Dactylorhiza purpurella, in the European section of the Alpine Garden. Not far away was this group of Epipactus gigantea. It's a hefty-sounding name for a little plant.
I saw these as I was leaving the entrance plaza today, thought they were Spathoglottis ground orchids from the leaves, which I saw in a lot of new plantings in Waikiki, but the label says Bletilla striata, Chinese ground orchid, and they do look like what's shown on the internet for this species.
