AboutOrchids

“Alba” is Latin for white or pale. With lighter leaves than its close Jewel Orchid relative, this beautiful variant from Vietnam is known as Ludisia discolor alba, or the Alba Jewel Orchid. Instead of dark green leaves with bright pink stripes, it has light green leaves with white stripes.

Ludisias are easy to grow. These terrestrials like rich, sandy soil. Jewel Orchids need regular water, warm temps, high humidity, and regular fertilizer. Give them bright light, but no direct sun. Ludisias can thrive under artificial lights, and they’re popular terrarium plants. It’s easy to root cuttings of their thick stems in moss, water, or potting soil. Watch for pests like mealybug and scale, which are often symptoms of low humidity. Cut back water and fertilizer during winter dormancy, but keep humidity high.

With such attractive foliage, the Jewel Orchid’s small flowers are often overlooked. The unusual blooms emerge atop tall, fuzzy spikes in winter. They add a whole new dimension to this fascinating orchid.

Explore posts in the same categories: Dormancy, Fertilizing, Fragrant Orchids, Growing, Photos, Warm Growers, Watering

This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 23rd, 2013 at 10:59 pm and is filed under Dormancy, Fertilizing, Fragrant Orchids, Growing, Photos, Warm Growers, Watering.

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