Did you know that…
Orchids are not exclusive to the tropics!
That’s right…. Portugal is one of the few countries in Europe where you can observe wild orchids.
There are more than “60 species” of the Orchidaceae family, and some are unique in the world!
Orchids have always fascinated human beings, either because of their beauty or because of their survival and reproduction strategies. In the vegetable kingdom they are on a level of evolution equivalent to the human species in the animal kingdom.
Contrary to their tropical counterparts, many Portuguese orchids are smaller, almost shy. They blend in with the surrounding landscape.
This is why the distracted walker can pass by a handful of wild orchids and not even notice them.
Arrábida has the unique characteristic of concentrating around half of all Portuguese wild orchid species, due to its climatic and geographical singularity.
Leaving the beaten earth paths, skimming through the bushes and tall grass, in search of glades illuminated by the sun’s rays we find these small and unique treasures!
Treat them with the utmost delicacy… and some distance!
It is not without reason that orchids prefer to remain inconspicuous to human eyes. After all, the temptation to grab a flowering plant and take it home because it is so different means certain death for these flowers.
It also means that the plant will no longer be able to reproduce, which, many times repeated, can lead to the extinction of a species.
You should never, ever, pick an orchid.
Observe and appreciate them… Always!
By Sorrisos Latinos with the support of Researcher Dr Duarte Marques
Itís nearly impossible to find educated people for this topic, but you seem like you know what youíre talking about! Thanks
Itís nearly impossible to find knowledgeable people in this particular topic, but you sound like you know what youíre talking about! Thanks