Flowering Underground

January, 2016

In 1928 in the wheat belt of Western Australia a farmer named Jack was drawn to a fragrance emanating from a crack in the soil of his backyard. On investigation he discovered a tiny plant flowering underground. What he had discovered was a completely new type of orchid, later named the Rhizanthella gardneri or more commonly called the Western Underground Orchid.

Unlike any other orchid in Australia, this flower remains underground its entire life. Instead of drawing on the sun’s energy for nutrients, it relies on fungus and the Broom Bush shrub which is the only known host of the orchid. Leafless, it is made up of the tuber, or stem and what appears to be one flower, but actually contains several tiny flowers packed together.

My youngest daughter was telling us the story of this hidden orchid and my entire family was fascinated by the idea of something fragrant and beautiful, hidden away to flower each year in the debris of its host. It reminded me of many artists and creative people I know, who are hidden away in places of dirt. Fragrant and beautiful they flower time and again, often undiscovered by those trampling above and around them. Under the right conditions and with the right support they continue to flourish, succulent in subterranean environments.

Wherever you are this year, I hope you continue to flower in season . . . winding your way through surface areas, and deep in good hearty soils. I hope you grow strong and are hardy. I hope your flowering is supported by others, and when you blossom it will reveal not just one gorgeous flower, but that there are hundreds of tiny blooms within the one. I hope your fragrance is sweet, true and breathtaking: that those around you would stop and dig in the cracks of dirt to discover what you are making – and what you are becoming.

The Underground Orchid is difficult to find and is considered a rare and vulnerable plant. It is precious and unusual. I hope as you move into work places this year, and create in your own spaces that you know how rare and precious you are. I hope you are able to recognise the threats to your own habitat and can embrace those around you in a symbiotic relationship that allows for fruitful outcomes. I hope you are protected this year and when you are discovered, I hope you bring such joy to others that it is worth every moment in the dark and hidden places of your growth.

Photography of A Cellar Showing by Sean Chang, reprinted with permission.