• Masdevallias love San Francisco’s climate. Most kinds bloom annually; some more than once a year. Masdevallia coccinea sulks on hot days. Masdevallia chaparensis and several hybrids thrive, and receive some full sun.
• Myoxanthus serripetalus flowers once every few years in the autumn.
• Neofinetia falcata actually blooms indoors, where it lives for the summer. Summer temps are too cool for it to bloom outdoors. However, it lives outside for autumn, winter, and spring.
• Odontoglossums do very well in this cool climate. Most flower annually.
• Orchis graminifolia did well and bloomed over a couple summers before dying.
• Panarica (Encyclia) prismatocarpa flowers every other year. This plant seems to prefer warmer temps, but manages to bloom outdoors anyway.
• Pleurothallis palliolata and Pleurothallis restrepioides bloom most years over winter. The latter has set seed pods for the past few years, but I don’t harvest them, and don’t know if they’re viable.
• Porroglossum muscosum has grown for years but never flowered. Maybe it prefers purified water instead of tap water, but I’m not set up for that outdoors.
• Pterostylis curta blooms reliably in late winter or early spring.
• Sarcochilus hartmannii thrives in this climate, and flowers for several months each spring.
• Scaphosepalum verrucosum has remained in continuous bloom for years. Seed capsules form occasionally, but I don’t harvest them, and don’t know if they’re viable.
• Sedirea japonica bloomed well each spring.
• Sobralia macrantha flowers every year in late summer or early autumn.
• Spiranthes cernua grew and bloomed well each year until it fried during a heat wave.
• Stelis species has only flowered twice over the years. It might be more reliable if I used purified water instead of tap water.
• Symphyglossum sanguineum has bloomed only once in 6 years. Possibly some of our nights are too cold for it.
• Zygopetalum BG White ‘Stonehurst’ has dependably flowered twice a year for over a decade.

Paphs are certainly the most common slipper orchids, but there are also other varieties. Like Paphs, Phrags and Cyps have flowers with a pouch, and fortunately, they also have short nicknames. Phrags, or Phragmipediums, have brilliant colors and wild shapes. Phragmipedium kovachii, or PK, electrified the plant world in 2001 when its huge purple blooms were discovered in the Peruvian jungle. Other Phrags have petals which droop to the ground, reaching 2 ½ feet (76 cm) or more. Phrags are native to tropical jungles in Central and South America.

Cyps, or Cypripediums, include lady slippers native to the USA, Canada, Europe, and parts of Asia. They’re sometimes known as moccasin flowers. All types of lady slippers need regular watering and moist, shady conditions to mimic their homes near the rainforest floor. Most live as terrestrials, and need repotting every year or two. Paphs are easy to grow in a home or office, and are popular choices for novice orchid growers. Many Phrags and Cyps have special soil and watering requirements, and are best for experienced growers.

To help flowers last their longest, check out these tips on where to place an orchid. If Mom wants to keep the plant after it’s done blooming, it’ll help to know what kind of orchid you’ve bought. Then she can better learn that variety’s needs.

As cut flowers, orchids don’t need any special care. Change the water every couple days to keep blossoms fresh.

Browse AboutOrchids for more growing tips, FAQ, and beautiful photos. Sharing your love with orchids has never been easier.

Mexicoas grow on oak trees in mountain forests in the Mexican states of Jalisco, Michoacan, Guerrero, Mexico, and Oaxaca. This species can handle a wide range of temps, and needs a nightly cool down. An elegant mini, it rarely grows above 6 inches (15 cm) high. The tiny Mexicoa plant is a marked contrast to its relatively large flowers, which can be 1.6 inches (4 cm) tall.

Nothing I’ve read says that this variety is fragrant, but I detected a light, lemony, daytime scent on my recent purchase from the Pacific Orchid Expo. Blooms can last over a month. It’s a colorful Mexican celebration.

It’s an interesting contrast to the wet side of the island, where orchids grow as weeds and drip from the trees. It’s also a reminder that orchids don’t favor deserts: they need regular moisture and good humidity. In your own home or office, whether the heater is running or the air conditioner has turned on, orchids suffer in the dry air. Many other tropical plants, like Kona’s copious bougainvillea and fragrant plumeria, are drought-tolerant. They don’t mind the dry air, but orchids do. In dry conditions, they start to attract pests, quickly lose flowers, and fail to thrive. Bring orchids to the wet side, not with more frequent waterings, but with added humidity. Meanwhile, Kona has lots more stunning flora and fauna to enjoy.

This post is the first half of a list of orchids I’ve grown outdoors over the years, with a few notes added. They’re all cool or intermediate growers, befitting San Francisco’s mild, foggy climate. Most have survived an occasional hailstorm, and we’ve managed to protect them from our rare winter freezes. For fellow gardeners in Sunset climate zone 17 where microclimates rule, you may find varieties that will work outdoors for you. The second half of this list will follow in a future post.

• Ada aurantica grows and blooms reliably every spring.
• Arpophyllum giganteum flowers dependably every fall. A few seed capsules appear each year.
• Bletilla striata grows and blooms reliably every spring.
• Chondrorhyncha lendyana flowered well, but died after repotting. I believe it prefers to be mounted.
• Cochlioda vulcanica grows and blooms faithfully every fall. Flowers often last through the winter into spring.
• Coelia bella was a new purchase last year, and flowered nicely for the first time last winter.
• Coelogyne mooreana grows and flowers reliably every summer.
• Cymbidiums guarantee blooms every winter. One of my hybrids has never failed in 15 years, and another blooms a second time in spring.
• Cyrtochilum macranthum flowers dependably with dozens of large blossoms at the end of each summer.
• Dendrobium kingianum and Dendrobium x delicatum grow and bloom reliably every spring, Den. kingianum needs a dry winter, but the Den. x delicatum hybrid can tolerate winter rains and still bloom.
• Dichaea glauca has grown for years but never flowered. I’ve tried it indoors too, without success. It continues to put out new growth each year, so there’s still hope I’ll figure it out.
• Dockrillia striolata didn’t bloom for the first 6 years I had it, but now blooms each spring.
• Domingoa (Nageliella) purpurea has flowered over the past 2 summers.
• Dracula sodiroi flowers sporadically. It might be more reliable if I used purified water instead of tap water, but I’m not set up for that outdoors.
• Encyclia vespa grew and bloomed well for many years. It required full sun.
• Epidendrums flower continuously for years. Keikis of cool-growing varieties turn into large plants within 3 years. The most vigorous type, which may be Epidendrum x obrienianum, is pollinated by local Anna’s Hummingbirds. Seed capsules often form, and seed is viable. Seedlings pop up in nearby bonsai pots, and can grow to flower in 3 years.
• Epipactis gigantea, a San Francisco native, grows and flowers vigorously each summer. Seed capsules occasionally form. It lives in a tray of water all year, even during winter dormancy.
• Helcia sanguinolenta blooms every other year in winter.
• Holcoglossum kimballianum has grown outdoors for 2 years, but not flowered yet. It lives indoors over winter.
• Laelia anceps thrives and blooms 2 or 3 times each year.
• Lemboglossum majale has only flowered once over the years. It may prefer warmer nighttime temps than we have.