The Orchid Lovers of Duke’s School of Nursing

April is National Orchid Month — a fitting celebration for a school devoted to a caring profession, where a love for orchids runs deep

Six staff and faculty members pose in a group holding orchid plants, framed by two orchids on either side of them
Staff and faculty members in the Duke School of Nursing pose with some of the flowers that they care for in their offices. Photo by Travis Stanley

Some people call Rosa Solorzano an “Orchid Hoarder.” She prefers the term “Orchid Rescuer.”

“My job is to rescue orchids from people who are struggling to take care of them,” said Solorzano, a Consulting Associate in the School of Nursing.

The miniature orchid in Solorzano’s care comes from the office of Anne Derouin, Vice Dean for Academic and Student Affairs in the School of Nursing. Two stems about four inches long sprout from a pale pink, decorative pot. One is a completely bare and brown; the other bursts with vibrant fuchsia blooms.

Solorzano has coaxed the petals into existence, cutting back the stems and then watering the orchid both sparingly and regularly.

At one time, she had 64 orchids back home and a handful in her office at the School of Nursing. Now, she’s down to about 20 as she simply finds the orchids that need her most.

“The thing that I love about orchids is you find your success if they bloom again,” Solorzano said.

Orchids are celebrated each April during National Orchid Month as the most fragile and beautiful, the most notoriously fickle and rewardingly striking of flowers. It takes patience, devotion and a delicate hand to ensure they flourish and bloom.

It’s no wonder that a school devoted to educating a profession known for its nurturing and caring qualities is filled with orchid lovers.

What Orchid Can Teach

Along the windowsill of Ernest Grant’s fourth-floor office in the Christine Siegler Pearson Building, a row of 16 orchids stand proudly, soaking in sunlight and attention from Grant, a Vice Dean of the Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging  in the School of Nursing. Back home, about 50 more orchids require his care.

A woman stands holding an orchid plant
Elena Turner holds her Phalaenopis John Hope Franklin – an orchid named after Duke's noted historian. Photo by Travis Stanley

Down the hallway, Kate Gray, Associate Dean for Development and Alumni Affairs, has her own rosy orchid. Michael Strader, Senior Director of Development, has a white version gifted from Gray for his birthday in December. Barbara Turner, Vice Dean for Faculty Affairs and Development, has a large white orchid with four stems and almost too many petals to count.

And Elena Turner technically counts 400 to 500 orchids in her care at her office – because she works remotely and has an extensive greenhouse in her backyard. Included in that collection is a Phalaenopis John Hope Franklin, a cream-white flower with a crimson lip named in honor of the former Duke historian and noted orchid lover.

Gray formerly worked at cancer centers at UNC and in New York where she would gift orchids to patients who lost their hair during treatment. She would point out that the petals might wither and fall to the ground, but they would regrow as beautifully as ever.

Solorzano recently returned two orchids to a co-worker that she had rescued and resurrected from near-death with the suggestion that they take a photo as a reminder of the strength of the flower.

“It’s a symbol of resiliency,” she said.

The lessons orchids can teach in the School of Nursing are innumerable.

“That’s the skillset that you need to have – be patient, try to do what works, sit by them in the ICU if you have to,” Solorzano said.

“And never giving up on them – just root for them,” Elena Turner added.

“I have one orchid that threatened to die every year. Then one year I looked at it and said, ‘If you come back from this, I will never doubt you again.’ And it did. It’s been fine ever since.”

a collage of various orchids
A collection of some of Elena Turner's orchids in her greenhouse. Photos courtesy of Elena Turner

How to Care for Orchids

Grant’s collection has grown over the years as he’s realized not only how to care for orchids but also how to encourage them to thrive.

“A lot of people tend to overwater them, and they also think that once they bloom, they should just throw them away,” Grant said. “They don't understand there's an art to trying to keep the plant alive.”

The biggest sin for orchid nurturers is overwatering – that is, caring too much.

But a controversial close second on the should-be-forbidden list is trying to water an orchid with an ice cube.

“That’s the worst thing you can do,” said Elena Turner, who is also a member of the Triangle Orchid Society.

Turner said the “ice cube” trick stems from good intentions. An orchid typically needs about ¼ cup of water each week, which is about the volume of three melted ice cubes. But the “melted” part of that advice is often lost, and adding an ice cube to an orchid can freeze and damage the roots.

“Melting the ice cube is an important step,” Turner said. 

Never leave an orchid in standing water, Solorzano says. Trim the stems when the petals fall, feed it fertilizer and let it bask in sunlight.

“Never give up on them,” Solorzano said. “Sometimes you might have to treat them and talk to them and take them aside. But never give up.”

Which leads to one last bit of advice: Be patient. If it seems like all hope is lost and you’ve done everything wrong, give it some time.

“Orchids are much tougher than most people suspect,” Turner said. “Sometimes you just have to let it do its thing and adjust to change because they’ll tell you if they’re happy.”

The lessons orchids teach are perpetual if you only stop to observe, listen and learn.

Send story ideas, shout-outs and photographs through our story idea form or write working@duke.edu.

Follow Working@Duke on X (Twitter), Facebook and Instagram and subscribe on YouTube.