Page 64 - issue
P. 64
DAVID J. COHEN ©WWW A Rose is a Rose
Private Investigator underground for years.
The Ghost orchid blossoms in the summer months with
DJC Investigative Group
10 flowers, which open one at a time. The fruity fragrance,
Licensed And Bonded - NY • Licensed - Maryland resembling an apple, is strongest in the early morning hours.
Once thought extinct, it is on the threatened and endan-
Specializing in Civil and gered plants list in Florida. If you’re ever in Florida, particu-
Criminal Investigations larly in the moist, swampy forests, where they hang out, liter-
ally, don’t even think about trying to dig this plant up to
Cell Phone: 917-301-0430 bring it back with you. It’s illegal. The Ghost orchid has mas-
E-mail: djc@djcinvestigativegroup.com sive roots that attach to a tree, blending in so well that the
white flower seems to be suspended in midair: hence, its
www.djcinvestigativegroup.com ghostly name.
Would you spend over $200,000 for a flower? An anony-
mous buyer paid that price for a Shenzhen Nongke Orchid
during an auction in 2005. Shenzhen Nongke is the Chinese
corporation that developed this plant in the laboratory over
a period of eight years. It takes four or five years for the
orchid to blossom. A rare and beautiful plant, it is said to
also have a delicate taste, although I have not figured out
why someone would eat such an expensive flower.
Another rare orchid is the Gold of Kinabalu. This one
seems almost like a bargain at only $6,000 each. The orchid
is found only in the Kinabalu National Park in Malaysia. Also
very difficult to grow, the blooms can take many years to
appear.
Crazy for Tulips
Tulips come in a myriad of vivid shades and make lovely flo-
ral arrangements. They are not prohibitively expensive these
days, but a few hundred years ago, investors in Holland lost
their entire fortunes dealing in tulip bulbs. Although tulips
are synonymous with that country, their earliest cultivation
was actually done in the Ottoman Empire. The name “tulip”
comes from the Persian word for turban. Tulips were first
imported into the Netherlands in 1593, where their popular-
ity grew after botanist Carolus Clusius wrote a book about
them. Many of the already pricy tulips contracted a non-fatal
virus now known as mosaic virus. The virus changed the look
of the tulips, causing “flames” of color to appear on the
petals. This, in turn, made the bulbs even more in demand
for their uniqueness.
By the early 1630s, tulips had become so popular that
their value rose to incredible heights. Many people risked
their fortunes speculating on tulip prices, creating the first
60 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
Private Investigator underground for years.
The Ghost orchid blossoms in the summer months with
DJC Investigative Group
10 flowers, which open one at a time. The fruity fragrance,
Licensed And Bonded - NY • Licensed - Maryland resembling an apple, is strongest in the early morning hours.
Once thought extinct, it is on the threatened and endan-
Specializing in Civil and gered plants list in Florida. If you’re ever in Florida, particu-
Criminal Investigations larly in the moist, swampy forests, where they hang out, liter-
ally, don’t even think about trying to dig this plant up to
Cell Phone: 917-301-0430 bring it back with you. It’s illegal. The Ghost orchid has mas-
E-mail: djc@djcinvestigativegroup.com sive roots that attach to a tree, blending in so well that the
white flower seems to be suspended in midair: hence, its
www.djcinvestigativegroup.com ghostly name.
Would you spend over $200,000 for a flower? An anony-
mous buyer paid that price for a Shenzhen Nongke Orchid
during an auction in 2005. Shenzhen Nongke is the Chinese
corporation that developed this plant in the laboratory over
a period of eight years. It takes four or five years for the
orchid to blossom. A rare and beautiful plant, it is said to
also have a delicate taste, although I have not figured out
why someone would eat such an expensive flower.
Another rare orchid is the Gold of Kinabalu. This one
seems almost like a bargain at only $6,000 each. The orchid
is found only in the Kinabalu National Park in Malaysia. Also
very difficult to grow, the blooms can take many years to
appear.
Crazy for Tulips
Tulips come in a myriad of vivid shades and make lovely flo-
ral arrangements. They are not prohibitively expensive these
days, but a few hundred years ago, investors in Holland lost
their entire fortunes dealing in tulip bulbs. Although tulips
are synonymous with that country, their earliest cultivation
was actually done in the Ottoman Empire. The name “tulip”
comes from the Persian word for turban. Tulips were first
imported into the Netherlands in 1593, where their popular-
ity grew after botanist Carolus Clusius wrote a book about
them. Many of the already pricy tulips contracted a non-fatal
virus now known as mosaic virus. The virus changed the look
of the tulips, causing “flames” of color to appear on the
petals. This, in turn, made the bulbs even more in demand
for their uniqueness.
By the early 1630s, tulips had become so popular that
their value rose to incredible heights. Many people risked
their fortunes speculating on tulip prices, creating the first
60 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
