Orchids: The Botany of Desire

Smithsonian senior botanist, Dr. Dennis Whigham, takes us on a journey to the world of native orchids. 

How do plants make a living? That question has propelled Dr. Whigham for his nearly 48-year career with the Smithsonian. Orchids were especially bewitching.  In this talk, he explores their unlikely beginnings as “dust seeds,” the microscopic fungi they depend on to thrive, and their interesting pollination strategies. He also reveals some of his most shocking discoveries, including the realization that more than half our continent’s native orchids are in trouble. Discover how stewards across the continent are rallying to save native orchids through the North American Orchid Conservation Center, and what you can do to help ensure their survival.

Whigham obtained an undergraduate degree from Wabash College and a Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina.  He joined the Smithsonian in 1977.  Whigham and his collaborators have published more than 235 articles in journals and books, and he has co-edited 10 books.

The ecology of plants has been Dr. Whigham’s primary interest, and his research has resulted in journeys through forests, fields and wetlands around the world. Explorations have led to studies of woodland herbs – including orchids, vines, wetland species, invasive species and studies of forests in the tropics, temperate and boreal zones. In recent years, studies of interactions between orchids and fungi have led in new and exciting directions. Whigham’s current focus is on wetlands, including the role of wetlands associated with juvenile salmon habitat in Alaska; the rarest terrestrial orchid in eastern North America; and invasive species.