Not long ago, orchids were thought of as exotic tropicals that only the wealthy could afford. While they’re still exotic and tropical, nowadays just about anyone can afford them. Thanks to advances in propagation techniques, they’re available just about everywhere – and they’re certainly priced right.
Many orchid aficionados still consider
Cattleya to be the “Queen of Orchids.”
Photo Credit: ©2007 Greg Allikas
The reproductive organ known as the column distinguishes orchids from other flowers.
Photo Credit: ©2007 Greg Allikas
Local orchid shows are great places to see and buy the latest cultivars.
Photo Credit: ©2007 Greg Allikas
Some native wildflowers, like this
Calopogon tuberosus, are lucky enough to look like orchids, but they’re missing the identifying column.
Photo Credit: ©2007 Greg Allikas
Nearly all home centers have an orchid selection, and you can find annual orchid shows held in cities all over the US – especially in the winter and spring. And if you’ve got questions, you can find out just about everything you’d need to know with just a couple of mouse clicks (right here on Learn2Grow®, for example). But despite how easy these beauties are to find and how much information there is available, the fact is that orchids still intimidate many gardeners. But once you learn what makes orchids different from other flowers, you’ll be able to understand how easy they are to grow. (Just be careful: Orchids can be addictive!)
Orchids are among the most highly evolved flowering plants. While they’re a part of the orchid family (Orchidaceae), they’re related to the lily family (Liliaceae). Like lilies, orchid flower parts come in threes: three sepals and three petals. But that’s where their similarities end. Orchids have one petal that’s modified into a lip. The lip is a neat innovation because it serves as a landing platform for the pollinator and often assumes elaborate designs to attract specific insects or birds.
Another big difference between orchids and other flowering plants is that instead of pistils and stamens, orchids have one structure that contains both the male and female parts – this is called the column. Even the orchid pollen is different because it’s not loose and powdery. Instead it’s fused into waxy masses called pollinia. Behind the pollinia is the stigmatic surface. When a pollinator deposits the pollinia from one flower to another flower’s stigma, the pollen tubes extend down to the ovary in a day or two and fertilize the flower. (This is a pretty unique aspect of orchids, so while you might find some wildflowers that look like orchids, if they don’t have that identifying column, they’re really just wildflowers.)
There are all kinds of orchids that make great houseplants, and many of these fall under the “epiphyte” umbrella. These include most of the showy flowers that we think of as orchids – and we don’t grow them in dirt. An epiphyte is a plant that grows on another plant for support, but it gets its water and nutrients from rain, dead bugs and leaves, bird and animal droppings, etc. In other words, it’s an air plant. These orchids include Phalaenopsis, Dendrobium, Cattleya and Oncidium, and while they can be grown in a variety of potting media, fir bark mixes are the most popular when growing these species.
On the other side of the orchid spectrum are the terrestrial or semiterrestrial orchids. These beauties will grow in soil, but a peat-based media is far better than potting soil. A few examples of these are Ludisia (jewel orchids), Spathoglottis, Arundina (bamboo orchid), Paphiopedilum and Phragmipedium (slipper orchids), and Cymbidium. While beautiful, they’re definitely not as popular as the epiphytes.
Because orchids grow all around the globe (explorers have found them growing nearly everywhere except the driest desert and the frigid arctic), there’s sure to be an orchid that works in your home. Fortunately for us, the majority of orchids can grow comfortably in about the same temperature range as we keep our homes.
Humidity and light requirements, however, can prove problematic. Orchids grow best with higher humidities – within a range of 50-70 percent. Although greenhouses and Wardian cases are made to maintain these high levels, you don’t have to use them. You can make do by resting your orchids on a tray of pebbles filled with water to raise the surrounding humidity levels. Daily misting helps, too.
The other issue is the fact that orchids need a good deal of bright light, or else they may just grow without producing flowers. (There are some growers who love orchids so much, they grow them under high-intensity lights in their basement. You’d be surprised at some of the beautiful orchids you can produce with such help!) But some orchids, like Phalaenopsis, will do just fine in a bright east-facing window or sunny kitchen. (This beauty’s long-lasting flowers and easy care have made Phalaenopsis a popular choice for beginners.)
With a little bit of knowledge under your belt, it’s easy to get started with orchids. All you really need is a bright east- or west-facing window and moderate temperatures. So give them a try! Not only will you be dazzled by the variety of shapes, colors and patterns available, you’ll be amazed at how easy they are to grow!
