Orchids growing in Kenya

[ASP]

It does cool at night down to 8 or 9 c especially around August which is when the short rains begin.

[ron-in-norcal]

Pretty ideal then. I've always loved the many finches and bulbs from down there. Never even thought about all the orchids!

[nenella]

Originally Posted by ASP

thanks for looking - Thanks Rosie, Ive changed it to "canes" that was the word I was looking for - Ill blame the fuzzy brain on a slow recovery from New Year!

I'm fairly sure all the spotty yellow ones are Ansellia africana... I could be wrong - hence why Ive posted on here.
The bottom one my Mother has since told me was originally part of an old Cymbidium she gave my Aunt over 20 years ago which she in turn got from her mother who got it from someone else.

I Agree the "spotty" is definitely Anselllia africana and my mum agrees (I too am in Kenya @ the moment) and I just showed her your photos. Sorry cannot help with the rest apart from the pink flowered one which looks from the dendrobium family.

[ron-in-norcal]

I'm pretty sure that pink one is an Epidendrum. Looks like a lot of the ones that grow wild in Colombia (including pink ones, which are pretty common there). Not sure what it's doing in Africa unless someone brought it over at some point.

[Silje]

Hey!

Lots of the pictures are of different Ansellia africanas. Which is totally fine since it is one of my favorites! It's always very interesting to see all the different color variations and patterns in Ansellias.

For the other orchids...

My guesses are:

Picture 8 might be some kind of Eulophia.

Picture 11 looks like some kind of Aerangis.

Picture 18 & 19 must be a dendrobium of some sort.

Pictures 27 & 28 look like some kind of Aerangis again to me.

I so wish that I could have orchids growing wild in the garden like that, but the humidity here in Namibia is just not high enough for most of the year. I just love epiphytes that are actually growing on threes as they are supposed to.

Thanks for the sharing.


Picture 7 looks like some kind of Aerangis to me.

[GardenTheater]

Love seeing orchids grown so easily and story about Mavis. Number 7 has leaves like my aerangis, but no idea about the others. Aerangis often like Phal light levels so hopefully it will do better in its new location.

[Chris35rt]

Wow very nice thanks for sharing

[Island Girl]

I know this is an old thread... But I would absolutely LOVE to go to Kenya one day... I loved seeing/hearing your story about Mavis.. animals certainly have their very own characters lol. Thanks so much for sharing this with us! please continue to do so!! Loved hearing about all the orchids being passed down thru the family... My grandmother grew up on a farm, loved to grow things, in her house & in her garden, and that's what I grew up with, lots of passed down house plants and garden plants happy memories.... Miss her very much...

[ASP]

Island Girl you must! Its fantastic. Yes its a great way to remember someone, most of my memories as a young child with my grandmother are all about plants or the garden. She was very patient and had lots of stories or anecdotes to tell as she was pointing out the different flowers and plants. It worked! She was a great teacher.
I spent a long time tracking down a Streptocarpella that is very similar to one she always had growing on her veranda.
And back to the subject of orchids I do believe that the one with the pink flowres in my photos is an Epidendrum.
There is a very active orchid society in Nairobi and has members that come from all around the world with various embassies etc.
With the climate being favourable I'm sure pieces of plants get passed around at various meetings!

[Dane Fisher]

I can see a polystachya species with pods on in your one picture, and the 'vanda looking orchid' looks like Cyrtorchis arcuata which gets white flowers.