Sunday, July 26, 2009

Spathoglottis cv.....Philippine Ground Orchid

Until recently I hadn't realized my ignorance with regard to these plants. Though Spathoglottis plicata is the commonest species, the range of colors and flower variations available suggest to me that there has been hybridization going on. The typical plants that you encounter in non-specialized retail tend to be, and I say this without contempt, a generic pink/magenta/purple. 'They're beautiful and I planted one here three years ago. The problem is that they are terrestrials (versus epiphytes) and require a bit, actually, a lot more moisture than we have available here sans watering. It languished for two years then failed to reappear at all. The color of this plant (8$ from Home Depot) was so intriguing I'll take it home and treat at as a regular tropical orchid.

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