BLACK  ORCHIDS OF BELIZE

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One of the rarest of all the orchids in the world is the Black Orchid. Due to its' status as the national flower of the Central American country of Belize it is illegal to take a Black Orchid out of the country. There is a hefty penalty if caught trying to smuggle a Black Orchid out of Belize.

Orchids grow in wet tropical regions and are a common site in south Florida where they grow wild. However the Black Orchid is native only to the Central Americas jungles. Orchids will grow in indirect sunlight such as deep in the jungle in areas with sun rays beaming down. Orchids also like direct sunlight when you hang them in baskets.

The black color of this orchid is the determining factor that makes Black orchids so rare. Very few flowers in the world have black pedals. No other variety of orchids is as endangered as the black one. The Black Orchid is not a man made flower.

Just as other orchids, Black Orchids, are born on stalks called pedicels. During one of the orchids many growth stages the pedicel rotates 180 degrees. The Black Orchid will grow three sepals which make up the outer floral whorls and three petals which make up the inner floral whorls. However, there is one other very distinct petal that is different from all the sepals and pedals, it is called the labellum, or “lip” and is most often cupped in an upwards direction.

In my opinion, the Black Orchid is just as beautiful, if not more beautiful then a red, orange or even a white orchid. Though pictures do speak louder than words you can never know the true beauty of a Black Orchid until you see one for your self. ~Anthony Benjamin~

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