The tenacity of plants.
 

One of the things that are fascinating to me about plants is their tenacity. That despite human destruction and intervention, they go on and on and try and try. Those of us who tend them love them for that. That is what originally drew me to them. Any thoughts?

They might go on and on and on a little better if I didn't get involved too much :) .

They are amazing.

The year after I graduated college I became friends with a botanist at my university. He spent hours with me in the greenhouse. One day he knocked over a Phal schilleriana, a huge, vigorous plant. He said, "This plant wants to teach you." We cleaned up the pot shards and potting media but he had me leave the plant on the floor. We sprayed it each day there where it fell. A couple of months later it spiked, and a few months after that the plant produced a huge number of flowers - at least 45-50! Finally, when the spike faded, he let me put it in a big basket which we hung with the other Phals. Nine years later, when I moved from Richmond, the plant was still going strong and had produced several keikis. Tough plant.

Some plants are amazingly tough. Some are definitely not. Phals tend to be quite tough.

I had always heard that orchids in particular were very very delicate plants. So I was surprised to see how much abuse Phals can take (as long as it's not overwatering) and still grow, bloom and thrive. Hybrid Phals are among the most resistant plants I've grown.