Deep beneath the surface of the Australian outback lies one of nature’s most remarkable plants — Rhizanthella, an orchid that spends its entire life underground. Unlike most orchids, it never sees sunlight, has no leaves, and survives by drawing nutrients from a special fungus that connects to the roots of the broom bush (Melaleuca uncinata).
Discovered by chance in 1928 when a farmer ploughed his field in Western Australia, Rhizanthella quickly became an international botanical curiosity. Even today, it remains incredibly difficult to locate, often found only by carefully scraping away the soil in areas with suitable conditions. Hidden beneath the surface are its small reddish flowers wrapped in creamy-pink bracts, releasing a sweet vanilla scent that may attract termites or tiny flies as pollinators.
There are five known species of Rhizanthella, and all rank among the rarest orchids on Earth. Their survival is precarious, threatened by habitat destruction and worsening droughts linked to climate change.
In an effort to prevent their extinction, botanist Kingsley Dixon and his team at the University of Western Australia are developing new conservation techniques. They are cultivating the fungus alongside orchid seeds in laboratory conditions and transferring them to Melaleuca bushes grown in pots — a delicate process that could hold the key to preserving these elusive underground orchids for the future.
