A rare orchid that takes a decade to blossom has been sighted blooming in a remote town in Western Australia.
The Queen of the Sheba is one of the rarest plants on the planet, and enthusiasts go from all over the world to see it in the wilderness just outside Bremer Bay, 500 kilometers southeast of Perth.
The endangered orchid is one of Australia’s most protected species, and it takes between seven and ten years to bloom.
This year, Tozer Bush Camp personnel took to social media to announce the discovery of the year’s first plant.
‘Hello girls, good to see you again … One day earlier than last year,’ they posted.
The Queen of Sheba is a member of the sun orchid family. It bears a single spiral-shaped dark green leaf and five red, purple, or violet flowers.
According to Kevin Thiele, a botanist and taxonomist, the plant is very rare.
‘They only come up for one part of the year so they’re there for only a short period, which means you have to rush around the state looking for orchids,’ he explained.
‘There’s a real thrill of the chase.’
He further said that the plant is a “deceiver,” tricking insects into pollinating it.
He went on to explain why the blooms differ so much in color and layout.
According to a document published by the Western Australia Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority, the orchid used to grow in Perth.
‘Historically this orchid grew in the heart of Perth (including the Kings Park bushland) but loss of habitat through clearing has eliminated many populations,’ the paper read.
‘It is now restricted to a few small and isolated populations between Bunbury and Albany, which have suffered from trampling and poaching by people in recent years.’
The authority declared at the end of last year that it had achieved a “major conservation breakthrough” by cultivating the Queen of Sheba in a lab.