Family
Orchidaceae
Botanical Name
CYMBIDIUM goeringii
Plant Common Name
Cymbidium Orchid, Goering's Cymbidium, Korean Spring Orchid
General Description
Easily mistaken for a grass when flowers are absent, Goering's cymbidium is a prized orchid in gardens across the warm temperate areas of China, Japan and southern Korea. Faintly fragrant golden green to chartreuse flowers appear in winter and spring. These are only subtly showy and often camouflaged by the foliage, though some come in more exciting colors, such as white, pink, golden orange and bright yellow-green. In the wild, this species is naturally distributed from Bhutan eastward to the Korean peninsula and Japan's Ryukyu Islands.
This semi-evergreen orchid grows from small, oval pseudobulbs from which arise grassy leaves of bright green. Plants actively grow in spring and summer and produce flowers stems from winter to spring when growing conditions are cool. Each stem (scape) bears one to three flowers. Each small blossom has three narrow sepals of yellow-green and three smaller, more central petals with one ruffled labellum (lip).
Grow Goering's cymbidium orchid in nearly full sun and friable, humus-rich garden soil. It adapts well to container culture as long as water can freely drain from the roots. Provide ample water with diluted fertilizer when in active growth in spring and summer. By late autumn, plants should be exposed to cool to chilly night temperatures which induce flowering. This species is tolerant of frost but prolonged subfreezing temperatures damage foliage and flowers. Some opt to grow them in protected cold frames where winters are cold.
Plant this diminutive orchid as a companion to wildflowers and grasses in a meadow garden.
Characteristics
-
AHS Heat Zone
10 - 1
-
USDA Hardiness Zone
8 - 11
-
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
-
Plant Type
Tender Perennial
-
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
-
Height
14"-20" / 35.6cm - 50.8cm
-
Width
12"-16" / 30.5cm - 40.6cm
-
Native To
Eastern Asia, India, Nepal, China, Japan, Korea
Growing Conditions
-
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
-
Soil Drainage
Well Drained
-
Soil type
Sand
-
Growth Rate
Medium
-
Water Requirements
Average Water
-
Habit
Clump-Forming
-
Seasonal Interest
Spring, Winter
Ornamental Features
-
Flower Interest
Showy
-
Fragrant Flowers
Yes
-
Fragrant Fruit
No
-
Fragrant Foliage
No
-
Bark or Stem Fragrant
No
-
Flower Petal Number
Single
-
Repeat Bloomer
No
-
Showy Fruit
No
-
Edible Fruit
No
-
Showy Foliage
No
-
Evergreen
Yes
-
Showy Bark
No
