Bletilla striata, Bletilla ochracea

[coeruleo]

Bletillas (pronounced ble-TEE-yah) are all deciduous orchids from China and other northern areas of Asia. You usually can buy them around February and March in their dormant state, sometimes even packed loose like daffodil bulbs. their pseudobulbs grow just under the surface of the ground or maybe a few inches deep. some look like tubers, others appear to be more like small pseudobulbs. There are a few new varieties showing up in the American market. B. striata has a pink flower normally, and there is an alba form. B. ochracea is pale yellow. The flowers look like small Cattleyas. The foliage is pleated lengthwise, appearing just before flowers come in the spring, and the leaves die in the fall. You can lift them out and store them in the winter so they don't freeze, or here in Southern California you can leave them in the ground, and they will form a slightly larger clump every year. These are often called 'Chinese ground orchids' or 'Chinese hardy orchids' in catalogues.

[Brutal_Dreamer]

Thanks for the information on these Deciduous Orchids.

cheers,
BD

[coeruleo]

you're welcome. i recommend them highly for anyone looking for a good socal landscape orchid. i have just ordered some myself, and gotten a variety of pure white (on the label anyway?) called 'Sheppard White' and and an ochracea. i've added them to the pot with the striata 'Murasake Shikibu' hybrid that is supposed to look more blue than the regular lavander (which usually look pink to me anyway). i should also point out, when you buy these, look for ones that already have a bunch of roots. do not trim them. longer or more roots make recovery time from repotting much shorter. otherwise the plant will first begin growing new roots, them send up leaf shoots. and do not let them completely dry out in winter if you grow in pots. they need good drainage, but the roots will die off if they dry out too much, which causes the next year's plants to not flower as they rebuild their strength. too little water and they can actually die in pots. water lightly once a month or so in regular potting mix, or maybe more often in cactus mix. i use half and half.

[coeruleo]

here are the sprouting plants, i planted 2 bulbs each of the 3 varieties, the white is just coming up. i was worried it had died, but it might recover.