The Scent Of Scandal

Light, vibrant or dark, this exotic and elegant beauty is among the world's most popular flowers.

This Tuesday’s Central Standard is all about Orchids.

During the first half of the show, Tampa Bay Times writer Craig Pittman takes us on a journey as he talks about his book "Scent of Scandal: Greed, Betrayal and the World's Most Beautiful Orchid."

The are more than 20,000 species of Orchids around the world. But it was the endangered, beloved and valuable Slipper Orchid that became the center of international controversy.

Then later in the hour, we’ll talk with David Bird of Bird's Botanicals about his local underground flower oasis. Hear how a passion for plants spawned into a business of thousands of cave-dwelling Orchids.

SLIDESHOW: INSIDE THE CAVE

Photos by Bird's Botanicals