The Cooktown Orchid is the floral emblem of our great state - Queensland.
We have had this orchid growing in one of the trees in the garden for 30 odd years. It gets broken off and knocked down by the possums, the rain and the wind and we pick the bits up and stick them back in the tree and every year it sends out a couple of flowers to thank us for our troubles.
It occurs naturally in a very limited area of the North Queensland rainforest between Cooktown and Cairns.
Oh dear me Poppo, I had no clue that this was QLD's floral emblem! Oh well, I guess I have never lived in QLD!! It is a lovely flower regardless and I'm glad this one has survived the trials and tribulations of your garden visitors :)
@lyndemc When I posted the pic, I was going to make some pithy comment about what Lyndemc would do to the shot to add that artistic touch and make it jump out but decided to leave it alone. LOL
Thank you everyone for your comments and favs.
I should have mentioned that apart from the flower, it is the most unattractive "plant" you have ever seen - even for an orchid.
I had a bit of a laugh yesterday. After telling the story here on 365, I was mucking around in that garden and right on cue, I came across two stems that had fallen down so back up they went. Ha ha ha