Orchid Hunting, the history and now...
For any orchid newbies like myself, I just wanted to share some more interesting info I came across upon reading further on the orchid hobby's history!
This helps me appreciate how easy it is to just order exotic orchids off the internet while sitting comfortably in*one's home and then get them in the mail...without ever having to MOUNT AN EXPEDITION TO FAR OFF DANGEROUS LANDS!!
"Orchids brought back to Europe, The stunning, frail, exotic-looking flowers were a wonder to behold. At first, folks just wanted to view these spectacular flowers. Then they wanted to own them. "
"The orchid craze was taking root. Soon it would blossom into full-fledged orchidelirium. "
"Collecting and displaying orchids was the pastime of the well-to-do, elite class."
"Many Orchid Hunters Died in Pursuit of the Flower.Many other orchid hunters across the world perished from injuries or diseases or were killed by rival hunters or native tribes. "
"Orchid Collecting TodayAlthough orchidelirium has died out and orchids are more easily obtained, plant lovers still enjoy collecting the exotic flowers."
"Hunting and collecting orchids in the wild is now illegal, having been banned by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, which was put into place in 1973. But that hasn’t stopped all orchid hunting. Orchid hunting and orchid smuggling still go on today, to the detriment of the plant. Scientists point to orchid smuggling as one of the largest contributing factors to the extinction of some orchid species."
Excerpts quoted from an article by Karen Harris
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