I’ll tell you a secret: orchids are UFOs. They are. I mean it.

I accidentally walked into an orchid show at the Hilton in Portland, a couple of weeks ago. These photos are but a sampling of the extraordinary array of … exotic flowers I saw that day.

What a stunning room!

I took pictures with my phone, because my camera’s memory card was full. Duh.

I spent a lot of time on my knees, trying to get close-up shots of these extraordinary flowers. Orchids really are UFOs of the plant world.

Frankly, some of their shapes are almost menacing. The copper one above almost looks like… a monster from a sci-fi movie. Aliens?

This striped one, above, is not reassuring either.

 

This pink one with exotic markings was more “conventional”, and almost resembled a pansy. Maybe.

 

And I am going to close this post with a “blushing” white orchid, exquisitely shaped.

I really regret not getting the full ID information on these unusual plants. But there you are. If you are interested, you can get in touch with your local orchid society. Those people will be happy to share their knowledge with you.