Understanding Orchids: An Uncomplicated Guide to Growing the World's Most Exotic Plants

Orchids are the largest family of plants in the world. With 30,000 known species, you could acquire a different orchid every day for eighty years and still not grow them all. Back in the realm of reality, readers of this beautiful plant care book can quickly and easily find the orchids that are right for them ― which ones will thrive on a windowsill, which prefer artificial lights, and which need a greenhouse; which are for beginners, which for experts. And you can pinpoint the species within a particular genus that are the best ones to start with. Once you select your orchid, William Cullina's authoritative gardening guide explains what to do to keep it alive and healthy.

Featuring more than two hundred color photographs, Understanding Orchids covers everything you need to know about orchid care to grow them successfully, whatever your level of interest or experience. With improved tissue-culture techniques making these houseplants more affordable, and the Internet making them readily available to consumers, growing orchids is more popular than ever: membership in the American Orchid Society has more than doubled in the last fifteen years. This is the book orchid fans have been waiting for.

Find the perfect orchid and learn how to help it flourish with expert advice on:

• Choosing Your Orchid: Learn which of the 30,000 known species are right for your home, whether you have a sunny windowsill, artificial lights, or a dedicated greenhouse.
• Beginner-Friendly Species: Pinpoint the specific, resilient orchids that are the best and most affordable choices to start with for a successful first experience.
• Expert Growing Techniques: Go beyond the basics with authoritative instructions on what to do to keep your plants alive, healthy, and blooming for years to come.
• Stunning Photography: Explore more than two hundred beautiful color photographs to help you identify and appreciate a vast range of orchids.

WILLIAM CULLINA, for many years the propagator at the New England Wild Flower Society, is the author of four major Houghton Mifflin gardening books. He is an ardent plant curator at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, where he is developing a world-class botanical garden.