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Hardy Orchid in the GardenTags plant encyclopedia

Bletilla striata

 

Hardy Orchid

Sword shaped leaves in the spring followed by the flowering stems in the summer. They come in a range of colours and flowers. Easy to grow.

Contributed by @cnash

 
plant Features
  • Hardy Orchid likes partial shade

    Partial shade

  • Hardy Orchid likes occasional watering

    Occasional watering

  • Hardy Orchid is not frost hardy

    Not Frost hardy

  • Hardy Orchid likes moist and free draining

    Moist and free draining

 
plant information

Common name

Hardy Orchid

Latin name

Bletilla striata

type

Orchid

family

Orchidaceae

ph

5.0 - 8.0 Acid - Neutral

  • Light

    Hardy Orchid likes partial shade

    Partial shade

  • Frost

    Hardy Orchid is not frost hardy

    Not Frost hardy

  • Soil

    Hardy Orchid likes moist and free draining

    Moist and free draining

  • Water

    Hardy Orchid likes occasional watering

    Occasional watering

Plant & bloom calendar

  •  
    Best time to plant
  •  
    When the plant will bloom

full grown dimensions

The size of a fully grown Hardy Orchid is 0.50meters x 0.50meters 0.50 M 0.50 M

Bletilla striata

Sword shaped leaves in the spring followed by the flowering stems in the summer. They come in a range of colours and flowers. Easy to grow.


Planting

From Early Spring TO Mid Spring

Plant in humus rich soil that is light, if the soil is heavy, clay like, dig a hole and add pebbles or like, to and mix with soil and compost. They do well in containers but do not like being wet.

 

Flowering Season

From Early Summer TO Late Summer

They come in a range of colours and flowers.

 

Flowering

From Early Spring TO Late Winter

Many orchids do not have a flowering season and flowers may be produced at any time if the right conditions are being met. Terrestrial orchids grown outdoors will mostly flower in the summer months. Flowers can last for several months.

 

Planting young plants

From Early Autumn TO Late Autumn

Sometimes small plantlets (keiki) appear from the nodes on the flower stems. Detach the plantlets when they have developed several good roots and pot them up in orchid compost. Water them sparingly at first, but mist them daily. Always use a proprietary orchid compost. Ensure good light levels in winter, as these are essential to encourage flowering. An east- or west-facing window would be ideal. Move to a shadier spot in summer and protect from direct sunshine. When planting terrestrial orchids outdoors, plant in semi-shade, no direct sun at midday. A very suitable place would also be on the north side of a building. Most orchids are woodland plants and therefore prefer cool sites, which do not become too dry and hot during summer. Places where ferns thrive are also suitable for. Don’t plant your orchids close to trees or big shrubs because their roots are effective competition for water and nutrients! Autumn is the best season for planting. Spread out the roots in the upper 10 cm (4 inches) of the soil, the rhizome 2-3 cm (1 inch) below the surface, shoot buds upwards. Fill in the remaining substrate without compressing it, and water thoroughly.

 
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