WOW! rescued native orchids for VPOP

A HUGE THANKYOU to SA Water for donating 16 pots of rescued Kangaroo Creek Reservoir native orchids for immediate planting on sites at VPOP, including this lovely flowering Helmet Orchid (which pretends to be a gilled mushroom to attract pollinating fungus flies!).

On 3rd August, Charmaine from SA Water delivered these surplus freshly potted rescued orchids (at least 7 species!) as a bonus for our advice and recommendations for moving them to new homes.  VPOP were thrilled to accept them!. 

There are other little seedlings of native plants with them that we will transplant if we think they will overshadow the orchids at their new site.

Cathryn and Ann are meeting Heather on site at Gilberton this morning (4.8.15) to plant most of them, although we will consider planting a couple of pots on the Wildflower Walk. Forecast rain tonight should help them settle in. More info next blog.

Below is the pot of flowering Helmet Orchids (Corybas diemenicus) with the feature photograph above showing a close up of the flower.  Hopefully some of the old flower heads will set seed on site!

There were several pots of King Spider Orchids (Caladenia tentaculata) and one pot of Purple Cockatoos (Glossida major, below left rear). 

2 pots of Cyrtostylis species – I think this is Cyrtostylis reniformis which is the Spring-flowering Gnat orchid.

And yet another type of orchid, a pot of Onion orchids (Microtis spp.)

We’ll do our best to help them to their new homes as soon as possible!