Originating from Southeast Asia, the Phalaenopsisis Orchid, also known as
the Moth Orchid because of its Moth or Butterfly-like appearance. In fact, there is even an island off the
coast Taiwan named Orchid Island, after this plant.
To date, there are over 60 discovered species of
Phalaenopsis Orchids. These flowers are found in many beautiful
colors, the most common being white, pink, lavender, yellow and orange. These
tropical and attractive plants can often also be found in striped or spotted
varieties.
Not only are orchids exotic and attractive, they are also
easy to care for! The Phalaenopsis does
not hold much water in its leaves, and therefore have similar watering needs to
the Cacti family. They should be watered thoroughly about every seven days. It is very important that the plant is not
left to sit in standing water, which would cause bacteria to develop and
possibly kill the plant. To avoid standing water, be sure that the plant’s pot
has drainage holes in the bottom! Set a
pot like this, on top of a saucer to catch any excess liquid.
Phalaenopsis Orchids are
an ideal houseplant because they thrive in temperatures of 70-80 degrees,
during the day and around 60-65 degrees, at night; this is the temperature zone
that most houseplants are kept in. Orchids like a humidity level of about
50-70%, but will adapt perfectly fine to lower levels, if watered weekly.
Contrary to popular belief, the Phalenoposis does not need
to be kept in much light. In its original environment – Asia, the orchids often
grow in shaded, moist forests. If you
choose to, keep your plant by a window, make sure that it does not have direct
mid-day sun. In direct sunlight, the
orchid may get too hot and shrivel up or become victim of bud blast (buds
drying up and falling off before they blossom.) An East facing window would be
a wonderful spot!
Phalenoposis Orchid flowers last anywhere from 2-6 months
and can bloom 2-3 times a year , once they are mature, established plants. This
plant’s natural blooming period is from fall to spring, lying dormant in the
summertime. Some people will just keep their Orchid while it’s blooming, but it
definitely can be kept much longer – just be patient and wait for it to bloom,
once again! If you would like to keep your orchid going, you’ll need to re-pot
it once it stops blooming. Use fresh orchid media (bark, stones, moss). Be sure to look at the Orchid’s stem; more
often than not , much of the stem is still green with small green nodes. Cut
right above the 3rd node from the bottom of the stem. If any nodes are brown, skip that node and
count the next. If the entire stem is brown, simply cut the entire stem. The
orchid will then use all its energy to form a new stem spike.
Happy Blooming!
