Orchids are known for there exotic flowers and fascinating growing habit and this makes them a very desirable ornamental plant for enthusiasts. The Orchid family consists of some 750 genera, almost 25,000 species and more than 100,000 hybrids.
Terrestrial Orchids:
These Orchids, as the name suggests, grow in the ground in a wide and varying habitat. The Hardy or near Hardy terrestrials, that grow in colder regions, tend to have small individual flowers that form dense spikes. After flowering they tend to die down and go into a state of rest for the winter and exist as tubers or other small storage organs underground. There are some very attractive species and many are grown in rock gardens or alpine beds.
Other terrestrials, which suit warmer conditions, are very delicate so will need to be grown in a greenhouse. In the wild they would grow on the forest floor in sheltered sites. These remain evergreen throughout the year.
Epiphytic Orchids:
These Orchids make up a large proportion of Orchids that are grown by enthusiasts. There structures and habit are very much different to that of the Terrestrial Orchids, the name Epiphytic is derived from the Greek epi which means upon, and phyton which means plant. The branches of trees are where Epiphytic Orchids make there homes. They do not feed off the tree so they are not parasites but lodgers and get there food from debris around there roots and from nutrients dissolved in rain water. Some of these Orchids live in a similar manner but on rocks and these are known as lithophytes. Epiphytes need to be grown under glass or in a conservatory.
Recommended Orchids:
Miltonia candida
Vanda Rothschildiana
Cattleya bowringiana
Cymbidium Strath Kanaid
Paphiopedilum callosum
Dendrobium nobile
When choosing your plants it is always best to buy them from a specialist Orchid nursery. They can offer valuable advice on suitable species to suit your growing conditions at home.
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