If the rose is the darling of the flower world, then the orchid is its scandalous femme fatale. And native orchids are the wildest and most mysterious of the bunch.
As spring approaches, now is the time to discover Victoria's native orchids and, with a camera handy, capture a rare flower in its natural environment.
Neil Anderton is a member of the Australasian Native Orchid Society and the immediate past president of the society's Geelong branch.
He said native orchids could be found right across regional Victoria — including some rare varieties — but their diverse nature can make them difficult to spot.
"Orchids are an incredibly diverse group of plants. The main thing to distinguish them is they have six petals or segments, some of which are incredibly modified," Mr Anderton explained.
"Usually they have a column which is the fusion of the male and female parts of the orchid.
"The other interesting thing is that orchids are reliant on a fungus for germination and growth.
"At this time of year you have gnat orchids, the green hoods and the helmet orchids out, which are usually brown or green and about 2–3cm in size, and because of that they can be quite difficult to see.
"But as you come into spring you will start getting the yellows of the golden moths and the sun orchids, which are much easier to see."
Mr Anderton said orchids colonised all manner of terrain types, depending on the variety.
"In the volcanic plains regions what you're looking for is an undisturbed native grassland," he said.
"Anywhere which has been fertilised with high phosphorus fertilisers, you won't find many orchids at all.
"The other one is woodland areas like the Grampians, Enfield State Park, they're always good spots. Native ground, either bushland or grassland are usually great places to start."
All native orchids are protected in Victoria, so the public are not to pick or otherwise disturb them. There are fines of up to $750,000 for individuals who do.
But taking photos is encouraged, especially if you share them with the Australasian Native Orchid Society through their website.
