Look at that name again — it’s not a Dendrobium, but a Dendrochilum. Both kinds come from Southeast Asia, but Dendrochilums are a separate genus, distinguished by their chains of small flowers. This Dendrochilum tenellum is widespread among many islands of the Philippines, where it is native to cloud forests in mountainous areas. Near the […]
More people kill their orchids through overwatering than any other cause. Fall is particularly perilous time for overwatering, as plants start to go dormant, but people unwittingly continue the same watering regimen as they did in the growing season. With too much water, orchid roots will rot, and the leaves will follow. So this is […]
I’m not quite sure what I did right to coax this Ionocidium into bloom, but I’m not complaining. This hybrid is a cross between 2 kinds of closely related orchids, an Ionopsis and an Oncidium. The lip of the flower is light yellow when it starts to open, and then turns white after a couple […]
Say what? You don’t need to be able to pronounce Myoxanthus to enjoy its funky flowers. If you do want to pronounce it, say “MY-oh-zan-this,” rhymes with “try go Kansas.” This orchid is a relative of Masdevallias, and enjoys high humidity, cool temperatures, and constant air circulation. Its native home is Peru and Ecuador on […]
San Francisco is often covered in chilly fog in the spring and summer, but warms up when the fog disappears in the fall. True to form, we’ve been having warm October days. Today the backyard thermometer reads 86 F (30 C.) The garden is enjoying this latest warm spell, and there are lots of orchids […]
If you saw this unusual Stenoglottis orchid growing in its native home in South Africa, and it wasn’t in bloom, you would probably think it was an ugly weed. If you saw it in bloom, though, I’d bet you would be amazed at its masses of dainty purple polka-dotted flowers with fringed lips. Stenoglottis longifolia […]
Like all plants, orchids need a healthy root system to survive and thrive. At least once a year, orchids enter a growth cycle when they generate new roots. These new roots are light green at the tips, and turn white with time. As they age over several months, they may turn brown. Since orchids are […]
Moth orchids, or Phalaenopsis, love warm temperatures. But one trick used by orchid experts is to give Phals a few weeks of cool nights in the fall. This can trigger the Phals to start growing a flower spike within a month. Normally their nighttime minimum temperatures should be about 65 F (18 C.) By giving […]
That always seems like a fun word to say — equinox. Equal day, equal night. On this day, everywhere in the world has about 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night. The north of the planet moves into fall, and the south of the planet into spring. No matter which direction you’re headed, […]
Think small for these Maxillaria uncata flowers, which are only 1/2 inch (1.2 cm) long. With reddish-purple stripes, yellow petals, and a white flower lip, these little tropical beauties appear translucent. This Maxillaria species is widespread from Mexico south to Brazil and Peru, where it survives in a wide variety of conditions. It’s a tough […]
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