Our Florida Ghost~

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The Florida Ghost Orchid (picture credit Mike Fournier)

 

There was a story in the news yesterday,  that prompted me to introduce you to a plant here in Florida that is so rare, that people from all over the Globe come here hoping to see it, some even come hoping to steal it.

Few succeed at either.

This deliciously rare and stunning beauty, is called the  Ghost Orchid  and it only grows deep in a swamp in South Florida on ancient trees, which makes it extremely difficult to experience in person.

A word of advice, the Ghost will not grow on your front porch in a pot, so unless you can replicate the exact conditions where it lives here, please don’t murder it needlessly, it will not survive if you take it home.

A dedicated Florida Wildlife Officer has made the safety and security of the Ghost his mission in life, along with also watching over the most endangered mammal in America, the Florida Panther.

Ask me if would I love to have his job, you bet,  in a heart beat.

He is the luckiest person on the Planet, in my opinion.

So now, about the Ghost Orchid, as some of you may know,  I have a little web site called  Gator Woman  and one of its pages,  is especially devoted to this spectacular flower/plant.

This page, by the way is the single most visited one on the entire web site!

My hope is that some, or perhaps many of you, will go and read about our  Ghost Orchid.

Its stunning beauty has inspired a book, a movie and legions of hunters, followers and admirers from around the world.

There are simply not enough adjectives to describe its beauty, ethereal is often used, my personal choice is breathtaking.

So dear readers, come meet the Ghost Orchid, I promise you will be enraptured by its beauty:  The Ghost Orchid

 

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12 thoughts on “Our Florida Ghost~

  1. you are right ..there is not an adjective that can describe the beauty of the Florida Ghost Orchid..what a delicate flower. Maybe Florida should adopt it as the emblem for the county flag…..something to be well proud of

    • It is gorgeous isn’t it.
      We would love to go and trek through the swamps to see it, but they do not, for very good reason, allow dogs there.
      So, we will not see it in person because of the promise that we made to Breanna that we would never leave her.
      And, what a terrific idea about the flag~

  2. The epitome of human selfishness. Destroy something that can only live in its natural environment…. I wonder if I’ve seen it in my deep-swamp hikes, and never knew it, lol. Watching where I step with gators and snakes and whatnot. 🙂

  3. to be in the presence of such graceful beauty…!*sigh*
    I would love to have his job in less than a heartbeat….
    I saw an olde black and white photograph..years ago when I owned a nursery….took my breath away
    Thank you for sharing both plights ….
    Take Care…
    )0(
    ladyblue

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