I have added a purple-lilac ground orchid to my inventory. She is Bletilla Yokohama 'Kate'. The Bletilla is a hardy terrestrial, growing in zone 6-10. With proper mulching, they can be grown in many areas of zone 5 as well. I also have a supply of Spathoglottis plicata 'Snow Angel' plants available. These two terrestrials do well growing inside too, so long as there is bright light available. I still have a handful of Spathoglottis plicata 'Grape Sorbet'. Contact me via T-Mail if you have interest. ATP subscribers always get plants at discounted prices.

Kate


Snow Angel



Grape Sorbet

oooohhh, purty!!

What kind of in-ground conditions do these hardy ground orchids like in your garden?

moist? I've killed 2... if I kill another one, that's it, according to the "try 3 times before you give up" rule. I think winter wet was probably the issue... hard to keep plants that like moist but well-drained soil. Picky! I'm thinking they may need a mound or half-sunken pot in a wet/moist area of the garden, so moisture would wick up to them, but they wouldn't sit in water over winter.

Jill, all my ground orchids are in pots. I have found that they prefer very well-draining potting soil, so I use my typical potting mix but add 1/3 cypress mulch by volume. They get watered twice-a-week by my irrigation sprinklers and if they look dry, I will water them when I water my orchids, staghorns, and tillandsia that are up in the trees. They are all on ground-platforms, under my oak and cedar trees. Some will get early morning sun and some will get late afternoon sun.

This is my first year to grow Bletilla, and thus have no experience with them being outside over the fall and winter months. I will know a lot more next year because I plan on leaving out a good many of them this year. That's how I learn..........by doing.

Thanks, Ken! I think I'll wait and learn from your experience this time... I tried to learn by doing twice already with ground orchids, no luck. for you!

Very pretty Orchid Ken !!!

Grape Sorbet is starting to put on more inflo. stems, even the one that has been in bloom for several months.

Three of the 'Grape Sorbet' plants are loading up with buds. I only have four plants left.

Only two of the 'Grape Sorbet' are left. One has been in constant bloom for two months.

The hardy ground orchids 'Kate' is growing additional stems, so there are now 2-4 stems in almost every pot. These plants are looking really good and I am going to go ahead and plant a bunch of them in my landscape and let them overwinter outside. They are hardy up to zone 5.

Check out a comment made about this particular plant on the Green Pages.

Hi Ken-- I have two kinds of Bletilla. I think it is a nifty plant to grow. Easily would look good in a modern or Zen garden, but I am more cottage and it fits. I would recommend to people buying them to put the Bletilla in a big pot. They like water and rich soil, unlike real orchids. Grow them in a 20 to 24 inch pot. In my zone they need no winter protection. In 18 to 24 months the pot will be full. Then experiment in the ground. If they like the ground they take off, if not you have the pot full to try again. I grow them permanently in a pot. They have a long bloom season. Last year with the mild winter I had one bloom continually. This would be a great apartment balcony plant. It is a hard plant to come by, there are going to be some lucky folks here! Many blessings to all.

Thank you for that information, Sharon Rose. I love to hear back from those who have experience growing what I grow and what I sell. Since the Bletilla 'Kate' is my first hardy orchid to grow, and I have never over-wintered them, your experience is valuable to me. Do you happen to have the Kate? I would love to see a photo or two of all yours in bloom.

Have a great Fourth of July.

Ken-- I have a giant pot of light yellow with a gold orange in the throat.
Knowing what Bletilla leaves look like a nursery/greenhouse near me got a few plants in. It was one (rhizome?). It had bloomed and had two seed pods, and a nub. I had to tell them what it was. They said it should be pink, blue, or purple. I will have to wait until it blooms to know. I deleted most of last year's and this year's pictures by accident. Not a cool thing for a grandma to do. All my kids say, You did not save!! If I can get a picture of my big pot, and can figure out how to upload. I will post. Although that plant is not blooming either. This year the yellow started blooming in April lasted into June. The seed pods are an interesting look.
May joy follow you around like a shadow on a sunny day!

Gosh, if I lost all my photos I would truly be lost. I have thousands of them and have to use my library of photos all the time in my business.

I accidentally deleted 2 years of photos. I was able to go to the recycle bin and restore everything then I had to go back and delete all the bad photos I had intentionally deleted originally. Whew, what a job.

It seems that Bletillas bloom longer in cooler climates than mine. I love them but they only bloom for a short period for me, less than a month. Perhaps it is the variety I have. Hmmmm

I will try to remember to post my length-of-blooming when the Bletilla do start to bloom. I have had several in bud, but as soon as anyone saw them, they snatched them from me. I still have yet to see a flower. Only my plicata 'Grape Sorbet' is in bloom and it has been blooming since March.

Here is what it looks like after bloom. This should not be done blooming. If I remember correctly they are like canna lily, as the smaller shoots grow they will bloom.

Thank you Alice, it has been awhile but I will go looking in my recycle bin. Many blessings!

Drat, it has to be the heat and humidity here. I know your temps are similar Ken and I can't explain it but the coastal heat and humidity is just different. That and maybe the coolish, damp soil during the winter. Bletillas grow and bloom beautifully here, just not for very long.

Those plants are just loaded with seed-pods, Sharon Rose. I wonder whether it is easier to start these from seeds than the typical epiphytic orchid? That might make for an interesting and fun experiment. Did you know I love to experiment?

That is how mine look every year. Long story as to why these are only 2 yrs. old, but I have been growing Bletilla for 6 years, thanks to a gardening buddy. I just let them fall into the pot, but I do not think I have ever had any germinate. I would mail them to you, but I do not even know when they are ready. I would need some instructions. I looked and there are 3 pods on the one that bloomed before I bought it. On my yellows there have to be over 50 pods that look like they will be very viable. I have to say that I have never seen the pods bust open like a hippeastrum or daylily.
Many joys will be yours if you can work with seeds!

Not to worry about the seeds, Sharon Rose. With over 1000 tropical plants, and 150+ due in soon, I have plenty to keep me busy.

By the way, how much sun does your bletilla orchids get?

They get morning sun. After that it is all dappled shade from a Crepe Myrtle. They like some shade from the Texas sun. They do not seem to like shade from being planted under the canopy of a tree. They grow like wildfire for my gardening friend who gave them to me. Hers are in the ground but get their shade from a house and fence. I have a feeling they are more picky about the soil. There are too many variables under a tree. Nutrition and water. Many joys to everyone!