ORCHIDS IN TREES and TREES OF ORCHIDS

 

 The day after we saw the Orchid trees in Cape Coral (this post from last week), we noticed these orchids blooming in a neighbor's yard.  These are genuine hothouse orchids (the kind you had in your senior prom corsage — if you were lucky).  

 

 

 

So this isn't an orchid tree, but an orchid in a tree… a Florida (and small home) version of a houseplant.  Our neighbors grow them in a basket wired to the tree (no greenhouse needed in this climate).

Along with couple of comments on last week's post, seeing both kinds of 'orchid trees' awakened my lazy mind enough to do a little tiny bit of research.  The Orchid Tree (from last week) is actually called the Hong-Kong Orchid Tree.  It is described as having orchid-like blossoms.  

(The scientific name of that tree is Bauhina Blakeana.)   

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Orchids like these today (and the many many other colors and varieties) belong to a family group called "orhidaceae" — so no relation to the Orchid Tree.

    

 

So now I know the difference.    But also suspect I'll soon forget all these scientific facts and revert to simply knowing that both kinds make me smile.  

 

Sharing with Denise's  TODAY'S FLOWERS;  Judith's MOSAIC MONDAY; Laura's I HEART MACRO;  Gemma's MONDAY MACRO;  Michelle's NATURE NOTES; and OUR WORLD  Tuesday (brought to us by Arija, Gattina, Lady Fi, Sandy, and Sylvia).   Thank you to all.