Orchids

All About Orchids

Orchids are among the most adaptable and widely dispersed plant families on the planet — found, literally, from the North Pole to the South Pole. Depending on who does the count, there are 800 to 1,400 different genera of orchids, between 17,500 and 35,000 species, and untold hybrids.

The following seven genera are perhaps the most widely known among orchid aficionados.

Cattleya Cut cattleyas have been the premier flower of floristry for a hundred years. The pure white ones are heavenly, and the purplish-lavender ones define the colour 'orchid,' though they come in many other hues, including orange and scarlet. A large, ruffled lip on the flower, often in contrasting colour, is a hallmark of cattleyas. The flowers are typically fragrant and bloom annually in almost any season for a period of one to two months; individual flowers last two to four weeks on the plant and about a week if cut.

Cymbidium Cut flowers of the large-flowered hybrids are second only to those of the cattleya orchid for their popularity in commercial floristry. Miniatures such as ‘Showgirl’ grow about 2 feet tall and after several years will form a grass like clump of leaves up to 2 feet in diameter. Above the foliage, upward of a dozen spikes of many flowers grow and will last for up to two months. Flowering is often in the winter or spring; there are, however, cymbidiums that bloom in summer and fall. (Cymbidiums need cool evenings to produce spikes.) Some cymbidiums are fragrant. Bloom spikes rise from the base of new pseudobulbs matured in the previous growing season.

Dendrobium The blooms arise from the tops of new growth matured in the preceding season. These are available in bud or bloom year-round. The evergreen types have magnificent tall, canelike pseudobulbs and sprays of long-lasting, showy flowers in many colours. Fragrance is common to the primarily winter- and spring-flowering hybrids.

Oncidium Oncidium plant size varies from miniature to several feet tall. Flowering is possible in all seasons, with the often-branching spikes arising from the base of the previous growing season’s ripened new pseudobulbs, and lasting four to six weeks. Some oncidium orchids are deliciously sweet-scented. The typical yellow flower assumes the fanciful form of a "dancing lady", which inspires a frequently used common name for the genus.

Paphiopedilum Hardly any bloom in the kingdom of flora can match the regal, aristocratic bearing of the most lavishly coloured and intricately formed paphiopedilums. Collectors of the genus have no trouble managing bloom — from one plant or another — year-round. A slipper- or pouch-shaped lip inspires the common name lady’s-slipper orchid.

Phalaenopsis Phalaenopsis is one of the best houseplant orchids, and a small collection of only six well-chosen plants can yield blooms every day of the year. Those varieties with white flowers are often likened to moths in flight, hence the nickname “moth orchid.” They come in many colours and may bloom on a short inflorescence close to the leaves or on a long, arching spray, to 3 feet or more. Some are fragrant.

Vandas Flowering spikes grow from the base of the most recently matured leaves and last for upward of two months. Vandas are known for their blue flowers; some species have figured in producing the most famously blue flowers in the world.