the Hardy Chinese Orchid
 Bed of Bletilla striata blooming in April |
| Bletilla
striata is a terrestrial
orchid species which is very easy to grow planted in outdoor
beds. Also known as the Hardy Chinese Orchid, the plants survive
sub-freezing temperatures in northern states when protected from
very hard freezing. The corms can often be purchased from commercial
bulb companies and local garden centers. The plants grow quickly
with many new growths produced each year. The bed of plants in
the photo above is a result of three years growth from an original
five corms. Beds are prepared from regular garden soil mixed
with peat moss or a commercial peat-based potting mix. The corms
should be planted just at the surface of the soil. In addition,
I mulch my plants heavily with composted fine pine bark (soil
conditioner) to a depth of three or four inches. In areas which
experience winter temperatures of -10*F or below, the plants
should receive an additional heavy mulch of six inches or so,
which should be removed in the Spring, or the pots should be
kept in a coldframe. Each winter here in Nashville, we receive
a few nights below 0*F and the plants do just fine. They can
also be grown in pots, and do very well when given cool winter
temperatures in the 40'sF range. |
 Bletilla striata typical form |
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Bletilla striata flowers, which look similar to minature Cattleyas, appear early in the spring, before the new growths actually mature. This photograph was taken April 24, 2004, in Nashville, Tennessee. The flowers range from one inch to nearly three inches across. My plants are currently growing around the base of our home's foundation where they receive a few hours of sun each day with shade at noontime. Some of the largest and most floriferous plants I've seen were growing in full sun, but by August they were badly sunburned. The plants are native to China, Japan, and Tibet. Besides the typical purple colored flowers, there is also an albino variety which is pure white, an albacens variety which is white but not a true albino, and coerulea which is kind of blue-ish. There are also eight similar species in this genus, some which are red and yellow, and these are now being used in hybridizing to make a variety of colors. |
 Bletilla striata v. coerulea |
 Bletilla striata var. albacens |
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