Existing comment:
Orchidelirium:
In the 19th century, wealthy Europeans and North Americans went wild for orchids. They filled their greenhouses with species extracted from habitats worldwide, as well as newly "engineered" hybrids.
The tropical orchids that collectors brought to Europe and North America needed the natural environmental conditions of their native climates; some required heat and moisture, others cool breezes. So orchid lovers developed elaborate greenhouses to shelter their expanding collections. |