Endangered Orchids?

Orchids are adaptable. They can grow in soil, on trees, even on rocks. But the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) warns that many varieties of these majestic plants may not survive in the wild if their environment continues to be tampered with. “Modifications to habitats mean that insects essential to pollination become extinct or move elsewhere,” says Wendi Strahm of the IUCN. “When that happens,” she adds, “the orchid cannot reproduce.”

An estimated 20 percent of the five million orchids sold worldwide each year are taken from the wild. This, the IUCN notes, interferes with the conservation of this beautiful plant. Thus, the IUCN recommends that those who want to obtain orchids should buy those grown in greenhouses instead of uprooting them from their natural environment.

There are at least 20,000 species of orchids known to man. Some are plants that measure just a quarter of an inch [0.6 cm] in height; others are vines that grow to a length of 100 feet [30 m]. Most species of orchids thrive in warm, tropical areas that have plenty of rainfall. But they rely on the delicate balance of nature for survival.

Sadly, human ignorance and carelessness continue to damage the environment, threatening an increasing number of plants, including the orchid. But not for long. In the new world that God has promised, man will live in harmony with nature. At that time the words of the psalmist will be fulfilled: “Let the open field exult and all that is in it. At the same time let all the trees of the forest break out joyfully.”—Psalm 96:12.

[Picture Credit Line on page 31]

Jardinería Juan Bourguignon

[Picture Credit Line on page 31]

Jardinería Juan Bourguignon