Orchids in Fiction

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Orchids in Fiction

Thursday, December 25th, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

One of the pleasurable side hobbies to orchid apprecation is that of searching out references to these mystery-shrouded flowers in literature and popular entertainment.

Among the earliest short stories in which an orchid plays a leading role is a strange little piece by the pioneering science fiction writer, H.G. Wells.  In actuality, the story is not so much a piece of science fiction as it is of horror, and as such a bit of a tangent for Wells. It has been republished many times and now you can easily find it on the Web. Sometimes it goes by the title, “The Flowering of the Strange Orchid,” and other times simply as “The Strange Orchid.”.”

Wells lived and wrote during the period of the first great orchid mania, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This was also a time when there were still some remote and relatively unexplored places in the world, which fired contemporary imaginations with imaginings of unknown monsters that could yet be lurking in some jungle or mountain fastness.

In his story, Wells built on the well-known mechanism of flowers discharging their scent into the air to attract insects, which in turn carry pollen from one plant to another, aiding the plants’ reproduction. What if–Wells wondered–there were a flower that took this a step further by evolving the ability to use its scent to overpower and feed on large animals?

In the story, a retired civil servant with a passion for orchids has purchased a rare specimen. After months of tending to it he is excited to see that it is about to blossom. He goes by himself one day to savor the first sight and scent of the unknown flower. Three hours later his housekeeper finds him lying unconscious before the orchid, which is  giving out an intoxicating odor and is looking very vigorous and wicked. A blood red-tint suffuses its
leaves and it has already pushed some of its finger-like shoots round the orchid lover’s neck and beneath his shirt front.

With an inarticulate cry she ran towards him, and tried to pull him away from the leech-like suckers. She snapped two of these tentacles, and their sap dripped red.

Then the overpowering scent of the blossom began to make her head reel. How they clung to him! She tore at the tough ropes, and he and the white inflorescence swam about her. She felt she was fainting, knew she must not. She left him and hastily opened the nearest door, and, after she had panted for a moment in the fresh air, she had a brilliant inspiration. She caught up a flower-pot and smashed in the windows at the end of the greenhouse. Then she re-entered.

She tugged now with renewed strength at Wedderburn’s motionless body, and brought the strange orchid crashing to the floor. It still clung with the grimmest tenacity to its victim. In a frenzy, she lugged it and him into the open air.

Then she thought of tearing through the sucker rootlets one by one, and in another minute she had released him and was dragging him away from the horror.

He was white and bleeding from a dozen circular patches.

Thanks to the fast thinking of the housekeeper in this story, the orchid’s victim survives–this time.

Fortunately, orchids that feast on blood do not actually exist.You can, though, view this tale as symbolic of the strange grip that orchids can have on anyone who falls under their spell. People who contract orchid fever, including all who venture on growing them, tend to suffer from it their whole lives long. That’s a warning!

If these fascinating plants have put the bite on you, you’ll want to learn as much as possible about how to grow orchids successfully.  The most up-to-date guide to contemporary orchid care, hands down, is Orchid Care Expert by Nigel Howard, which can be downloaded online. Mr. Howard’s guide is a full education in itself, great for novices as well as those more experienced. Also, be sure to visit the Orchid Secrets web site, which contains an ever-growing database of information on all aspects of orchid cultivation.