Are There ANY Orchids That Can Take Full Sun?

[mauraec]

I concur with Pavel. Generally speaking in our country the terete, semi-terete vandas, aranda, mokara are grown in full sun in our cut flower nurseries, but the same plants begin their early life as seedlings growing under shade. They are then hardened by slowly reducing shade ('acclimatisation') before planting out in their permanent beds.Strap leaved vandas are never grown in full sun. Some hardy hard-cane dendrobiums do very well in full sun.

In our tropical jungles, species are seldom exposed to full sun for any length of time - the exceptions being the deciduous dendrobiums of the tropical monsoon farther north from the Equator (north of the Tropic of Cancer) that experience a cool dry winter, typically from Dec-Feb. During this period the trees lose their leaves, including most of the dendrobiums, and are exposed to almost full sunlight. This period also stimulates the deciduous dendobiums to spike and bloom from Mar - April. This time too is when photographers take pictures of those fabulous of blooming dendrobiums in situ. In Malaysia Arundina and Spathoglottis grow in full sunlight in grassland areas. Another species that thrive in open sunny situations is Pectelis (Habenaria) susannae and, of course, the Kinta Weed, Papilionanthe hookeriana.

And I concur with you concurring with Pavel, Yew! What an interesting post you have written - I'm not at all sure I can take advantage of any of the species you noted - I've tried both strap-leaved and terete vandas, but our full sun is still in the 20s and 30s in December, January, and February, so they have to come in after the warm weather - and THAT they do not like. Phillip had a Habenaria, but I'm not sure of the species - perhaps I'll go look for it when I go to our boarding nursery this week. The variety of climates, including strength and length of sunlight, different wet and dry seasons, places without a noticeable season at all, and for those of us sufficiently north of the Equator to have VERY different weather during a year's cycle, trying to simulate warm, humid and sunny for the winter months takes prodigious effort - which is when unlimited funds and a greenhouse would come in handy.

Of course, the best answer would bee to choose orchids native to one's own climate; unfortunately, very few of the handful of orchids native to the places I've lived - which have pretty cold (Atlanta) winters of about 2 months, to coldest (Maine), with about 7 months of temps under 50F. Lady Slippers grow wild everywhere in the forests of the Northeast, but they have never been successfully cultivated. So, we go back to playing pretend that our orchids are in pseudo-Africa, South America, Malaysia, Borneo, Australia, the Phillippines, all of southeast Asia, China, Japan, etcetera. Some of them fall for it, some don't. I just wish I could put all my high-light orchids out in the full sun during the warm weather here, and let them absorb and store it for the dark days ahead. And if wishes were horses....

---------- Post Merged at 11:26 AM ----------

My Rhyncholaelia digbyana and antelopes dendrobium they really love full sun light some of the Dendrochilum especially in highlands they thrives very well on open area without any sun burn at all really very weird.

Aha! I shall go hunting for a Rhyncholaelia digbyana, then!

[coeruleo]

digbyana is probably going on my list too. or maybe some hybrid of it for the sunnier more exposed end of my balcony. anyone growing 'rupicolous laelias'??? they are mentioned as being able to take sun in nature, on dry rocky cliffs? but i don't find a lot of real info about growing them here in california, which they are listed as being temperature tolerant for coastal socal.

[cakedaddy]

Maura, I'm in northern Florida now...I'm growing everything outdoors on my south facing deck. It is covered and there are trees(pines), but quite a few of my plants get full sun during the hottest part of the day. I was terribly uncomfortable about it at first. Fortunately, they seem to have adjusted nicely. Getting doses of full southern afternoon sun are an Encyclia(NOID), Laelia Santa Barbara Sunset, Laelia jongheana, Epidendrum floribundum, and various Dendrobium/Bulbophyllum. Mind you, this isn't FULL DAY sun but full sun for a few hours midday. I am within walking distance of the beach here so we usually have a wonderful breeze. That's a big help!
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[angela]

I concur with Pavel. Generally speaking in our country the terete, semi-terete vandas, aranda, mokara are grown in full sun in our cut flower nurseries, but the same plants begin their early life as seedlings growing under shade. They are then hardened by slowly reducing shade ('acclimatisation') before planting out in their permanent beds.Strap leaved vandas are never grown in full sun. Some hardy hard-cane dendrobiums do very well in full sun.

In our tropical jungles, species are seldom exposed to full sun for any length of time - the exceptions being the deciduous dendrobiums of the tropical monsoon farther north from the Equator (north of the Tropic of Cancer) that experience a cool dry winter, typically from Dec-Feb. During this period the trees lose their leaves, including most of the dendrobiums, and are exposed to almost full sunlight. This period also stimulates the deciduous dendobiums to spike and bloom from Mar - April. This time too is when photographers take pictures of those fabulous of blooming dendrobiums in situ. In Malaysia Arundina and Spathoglottis grow in full sunlight in grassland areas. Another species that thrive in open sunny situations is Pectelis (Habenaria) susannae and, of course, the Kinta Weed, Papilionanthe hookeriana.

The same applies for me here in Barbados. I will also add to this list, that my reed stem Epi. also are grown in full sun ie. from morning until about 2pm depending on the time of the year.

[catttan]

Yes Angela, some of my friends here grow their reed stem Epi outdoors in full sun as well

[stateless]

Thanks Angela, I forgot all about my epi. radicans, right along side my teretes and they love it

[mauraec]

Maura, I'm in northern Florida now...I'm growing everything outdoors on my south facing deck. It is covered and there are trees(pines), but quite a few of my plants get full sun during the hottest part of the day. I was terribly uncomfortable about it at first. Fortunately, they seem to have adjusted nicely. Getting doses of full southern afternoon sun are an Encyclia(NOID), Laelia Santa Barbara Sunset, Laelia jongheana, Epidendrum floribundum, and various Dendrobium/Bulbophyllum. Mind you, this isn't FULL DAY sun but full sun for a few hours midday. I am within walking distance of the beach here so we usually have a wonderful breeze. That's a big help!
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I am SO jealous!!!

Can you pm me where you are?
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[maria1971]

I grow everything outside. Here are my orchids that get full sun:

Grammatophyllum speciosum
Grammatophyllum wallisii
Cyrtopodium punctatum
Dendrobium moschatum
Laelia superbiens
Schomburgkia/Myrmecophila tibicinis
Eulophia petersii
Schomburgkia/myrmecophila hybrids (although you have to acclimate them to it)
Renantheras
and the sole mokara that I have.

My Laelia anceps DO NOT withstand full sun. They will get burned. Same goes for my purpuratas, potinaras, and cattleya hybrids. I have them growing on the second shelves. So they get VERY bright light but not full sun. Some of my grammatophyllums also do not get full sun because they will burn.

[cucubirds]

In my very limited experience- antelope dendrobium, renanthera, papilionanthe & grammatophyllum can take full tropical sunlight all day long. I would say they do better in full sunlight.

[Lizgeo]

My Brassavola grows almost under full sun, including nodosa and hybrids. Encyclia enjoys the sun better than other catts too.