There are a large variety of different orchid books to choose from. Start with a general book which covers most of the orchid families and then progresses to more specific topics.

Below just a few suggestions.

Reminder : South Africa is in the Southern hemisphere – check for which country/ hemisphere the book was written, remember where you are living (!) and don’t get confused with the months. (If you are living in the southern hemisphere, add six months if the book was written for the Northern growers. If written in Australia, New Zealand etc. the months/seasons stay the same).If they mention seasons and not monthds, then you have no problem, it stays the same.

There have been a lot of name changing in the species – check for a synonym if you cannot find a specific orchid. There are almost 30 000 species in nature and you will never find a book which covers them all.

RECOMMENDED BOOKS:

A brands new Field Guid to the Orchid Species of Southern Africa:

UKZN botanists Professor Steve Johnson and Dr Benny Bytebier, both from the School of Life Sciences – Pietermaritzburg,

Field Guide to the Orchids of Northern South Africa and Swaziland.

This book is an easy-to-use field guide for the species enthusiast who loves to go searching for our wonderful indigenous orchids in situ.
Contact Umdaus Press on 011-675-1477, or via email umdaus@succulents.net

It is designed to be an easy to use field guide with

• More the 1300 color photographs
• Distribution maps based on altitude
• Life-size image of each species Flowering times
• The aim of the book is to ease identification for professionals and amateur enthusiasts alike.

Authors: Douglas McMurtry, Lourens Grobler, Jolisa Grobler and Shane Burns

ISBN number: 978-1-919766-46-1
Publishers: Umdaus Press

GROWING ORCHIDS IN SOUTH AFRICA – A Gardener’s Guide

ISBN: 1-875093-84-2 and 978-1-875093-84-7
(Briza Publications books@briza.co.za)
Hendrik Venter
At last a book written especially for South African conditions.
Available in Afrikaans and English

ANYONE CAN GROW ORCHIDS

Nollie Cilliers & Tinus Oberholzer

ISBN 97

8-1-9

20479-78-7
Publicat

ion date: September 2013
Available in Afrikaans: Enigeen kan orgideë kweek

ISBN 978-1-920479-79-4

BOTANICA’S POCKET ORCHIDS

ISBN-0-09-183820-1
It deals with over 1200 species with easy-to-understand text. Comprehensive information on propagation, growing, flowering and background.

Helmut Bechtel, Philip Cribb & Edmund Launert

THE MANUAL OF CULTIVATED ORCHID SPECIES

ISBN 1-874849-39-0
(Bok Books)
Gerald Leroy-Terquem & Jean Parisot

ORCHIDS CARE AND CULTIVATION

ISBN 1-874937-39-7
(Cassel Publishers Ltd)
Alec Pridgeon

A COMPENDIUM OF MINIATURE ORCHID SPECIES

For the lover all things small and special.
A Compendium of Miniature Orchid Species is a two volume, 1200 page work, that documents 500 different miniature orchid species across more than 120 genera. Each species entry includes nomenclatural and etymological information, as well as cultivation guidance and notes about habitat, conservation status and similarities to other orchids. The work includes over 1,800 full-colour, small and large format photographs that document each of the species covered.

WHAT ORCHID IS THAT ?

ISBN 1 86302 194 9
(Weldon Publishing, Sydney)
Rebecca T Northern

HOME ORCHID GROWING

ISBN 0-442-06064-5
(D von Nostrand Co)
Peter McKenzie Black

THE WARD LOCK BOOK OF ORCHID GROWING

ISBN 0-7063-7019-8

(Ward Lock Limited)
Brian and Wilma Ritterhausen

ORCHIDS AS HOUSEPLANTS

ISBN 0-7063-6815-0
(Resopal)
Wilma and Brian Ritterhausen

GARDENER’S GUIDE TO GROWING ORCHIDS (Southwater)

HP Linder & H Kurzwell

ORCHIDS OF SOUTERN AFRICA

ISBN 90 5410 445 7
(AA Balkem)
Mike Tibbs and Ray Bilton

ORCHIDS – An illustrated identifier and guide to cultivation

ISBN 1-85926-089-6
(Leefung-Asco Printers Ltd)
J.N. Rentoul

EXPANDING YOUR ORCHID COLLECTION

ISBN 0 85091 364 0
(Lothian Publishing Company Pty Ltd)
Joyce Stewart

ORCHIDS OF KENYA

ISBN (UK) 1 873040 28 8
(Timber Press INc.)

FROM THE SAOC (SOUTH AFRICAN ORCHID COUNCIL) :

The following books can be ordered from www.saoc.co.za or mikeandtessa@mweb.co.za