Orchids are quite unique in the way they reproduce and propagate, which is one reason so many growers find them to be fascinating plants. As your orchids bloom and your green thumb calls out, “You can make more!” I encourage you-- make more of these beautiful plants and have fun with it!

In nature, orchid pollination is an amazing process that can be detailed in volumes; it is fun to explore some of the unique pollination methods used by a few particularly beautiful orchids.

Coryanthes
The name Coryanthes means “helmet flower” -- it is sometimes called the “bucket orchid” due to its unique structure and shape. The method for this orchid’s pollination in nature is ingenious and fascinating. A pool of liquid sits within the “bucket” of the orchid. This liquid releases a strong scent that Euglossine male bees, also referred to as the “orchid bee,” find absolutely irresistible.  As the bee follows the fragrance and begins to enter the orchid, he slips into the liquid. This wets his wings making it impossible for him to fly.

The inside of the Coryanthes’ buckets are slick and waxy, making it difficult for the bee to climb back out of the flower the way he came in. This forces him to exit through a narrow “escape hatch.” The bee must struggle to escape through this opening, and as he does so, loosens the anther cap which holds the pollen. The pollen then sticks to the bee’s back as he makes his final push through the “escape hatch.”

Oh, how irresistible the Coryanthes’ fragrance is! The bee cannot stay away and finds another Coryanthes flower. He ventures inside and before he knows it, he’s taking another swim in the bucket. This time, as he exits the flower, his back rubs against the column of the flower and the pollen sticks to the column, pollinating the orchid. Another interesting note is that the pollen has to be the right size to fit the column and pollinate it properly. As the bee exits the first flower with the pollen on his back, the pollen dries and shrinks in size as he flies to the next flower. By the time he reaches the column of the second flower it is the perfect size!

Bulbophyllum (The “Stinky” Orchid)
This is the largest genus and has an incredible variety of orchids that originate from multiple continents: East and South Asia, Africa, Australia and South America. This type of orchid typically prefers high humidity and low to moderate light, though temperature preferences differ among the individual species. Many Bulbophyllum blooms are known for their strong, offensive odor which is likened to rotting meat. Though the smell of these flowers is sometimes stomach-turning to humans, flies adore it!

Angraecum
This flower appears to be a delicate beauty of solid creamy white color when it blooms at night. It has a nectar-containing corolla tube that extends 8-14 inches long. Charles Darwin spent much time evaluating this orchid and concluded that the pollinator must be a moth with an unusually long proboscis. The pollinator remained unknown until 1903 when the Hawk Moth, which has a proboscis nine inches long, successfully pollinated the Angraecum in a controlled environment.

Catasetum
The Catasetum presents another fascinating pollination story. Catasetum bloom as either male or female flowers depending on how much light they receive. Bees are initially attracted to the short-lived fragrance of the flower. The male flowers shoot the sticky pollen onto the bee, and the flower can even launch its pollen up to a meter (or one yard) away. The bee must then enter the female flower upside down to correctly position the pollen. In such a small flower, the bee has to back out of the flower to exit, thus separating the pollen from the sticky portion that secured it to the bee.

Pollinating Your Orchid
For growers who have never crossed orchids or pollinated them, it is usually best to begin with a cross of two different flowers from a single orchid plant. By doing this, the pollination should work and you will likely have flowers that look very similar to the parent plant. However, it is always possible for minor genetic differences to appear.

These are the basic steps that occur with propagating a single orchid in bloom:

• Two flowers from the plant must be used to pollinate one or both flowers.- If pollination works, a seed pod will form. 
• The seed pod is sent to a lab to be flasked.
• The lab will return a flask to you. 
• The seedlings should be deflasked and placed in a community pot (sometimes referred to as a compot).
• Once the seedlings are established and begin to overgrow their pot, they may be repotted by themselves or placed in another community pot containing fewer plants.

The pollinating process…
You need at least two flowers on your orchid. The technique varies slightly depending on the type of orchid you are working with. For example, using a Paphiopedilum, you may cut away the pouch portion of the flower to make the process easier. For a Cattleya, you need to lift the anther cap to expose the pollenae (generally one or two bright yellow spheres). Once you have located the pollen or pollenae, take it off of flower ‘A’ using a toothpick and place the pollenae on a sheet of wax paper. Using a new toothpick then take the pollenae from flower ‘B’ and place it on the sheet of wax paper. With a new toothpick, take the pollenae from flower ‘A’ and place it onto the stigmae or column, rolling it slightly to ensure it sticks, of flower ‘B.’ You may repeat the same process by placing the pollenae from flower ‘B’ on the stigmae or column of flower ‘A.’ In the end, you will have used one or two of the two to four pollenae that are available.

Why is my flower dying?!
No need to worry, the dying flower is all part of the normal process. After all, the flower was just there to look good enough to get pollinated. The flower(s) that you pollinated should drop within a day or two. Once the flower drops, you will likely notice the column beginning to swell over the next week. Some orchids have more noticeable changes in the columns than others. The swollen column is one way you can tell if the pollination was a success.

The orchid typically will need an average of six months to develop a seed pod mature enough for “green pod” culturing. “Brown pod” culturing is the process of allowing the seed pod to mature, dry and turn brown. The seed pod will burst and seeds may be caught in a coffee filter or clean panty hose. “Green pod” culturing occurs when the seed pod or capsule has not burst. The stem or spike having the seed pod is typically cut off and sent to the processing lab.

What now?
Yes, it is possible to flask your own orchid plantlets; however, it can be costly to obtain the supplies, difficult to ensure a sterile working area, as well as being quite tedious. Many growers do enjoy the process, but for most hobby growers it is much easier to send the seeds or seed pods to a lab.

One of the labs we enjoy working with is Meyers Conservatory, which may be found at www.troymeyers.com. Troy Meyers has an excellent program and works diligently to conserve orchid species. His website has directions for harvesting the seed pods as well as his reasonable pricing structure and flask options. Troy also offers orchid species flasks for sale.

Hopefully the information in this article has invigorated your green thumb and perhaps it will add an interesting element to your orchid growing experience. Who knows, maybe you now have dreams about being able to trade your seedlings around in your orchid society or as “happy spring” plants to your neighbors. If your pollination, seed pod collection and flasking go well, you’ll have many new plants to share! In the Garden & Greenhouse April issue follow-up article, I will discuss how to deflask and compot your new orchids. Until then, start pollinating your orchids that are in bloom! GG

Amanda Sylvie is the owner of Lone Star Orchids and may be contacted by calling 866.433.8256 or e-mailing This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . You can also visit her website at www.lonestarorchids.com.