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Bletilla striata (Chinese Ground Orchid)

Hardy Orchid, Chinese Ground Orchid, Hyacinth Orchid, Bletilla hyacinthina, Bletia hyacinthina, Bletia striata

AGM Award
Bletilla striata,Hardy Orchid, Chinese Ground Orchid, Hyacinth Orchid , Lavender flowers, Purple flowers, perennials for shade, Bletilla hyacinthina
Bletilla striata,Hardy Orchid, Chinese Ground Orchid, Hyacinth Orchid , Lavender flowers, Purple flowers, perennials for shade,Bletilla hyacinthina

Unlike many orchids, award-winning Bletilla striata (Chinese Ground Orchid) is an easy-to-care-for hardy terrestrial orchid. It produces small, cattleya-like, pinkish-purple flowers, 2 in. wide (5 cm), in pretty racemes of up to 12 blooms. Rising artfully above the foliage, each exotic-looking flower has five spreading petals with an undulating, furrowed lower lip. Blooming for about 4-6 weeks in early to mid-summer, the flowers open from the bottom of the raceme and progress to the top. Each pseudobulb produces 3-5 upright, pleated, sword-shaped, pale green leaves which add interest and distinction to the landscape from mid-spring until the frost cuts them down. Green seedheads follow the blooms, but gradually turn brown as they mature. As attractive in pots and containers as it is in beds and borders.

  • Awarded the prestigious Award of Garden Merit by the Royal Horticultural Society
  • Grows in clumps up to 12-18 in. high (30-45 cm) and 6-12 in. wide (15-30 cm). This beauty will naturalize and spread modestly by creeping rhizomes and by seed dispersal in ideal growing conditions.
  • Easily grown in organically rich, moist, well-drained soils in part shade. After flowering, continue to provide regular moisture to plants for the rest of the growing season. Provide mulch to discourage weed growth and conserve moisture.
  • Stunning in beds, borders, rock gardens, or containers.
  • Virtually disease free. Watch for aphids, glasshouse whitefly, and mealybugs.
  • To be planted in spring, 4 in. apart (10 cm) and 2-3 in. deep. Divide in early spring
  • Native to China, Japan, and Tibet

Requirements

Hardiness 5 - 9
Heat Zones 5 - 8
Climate Zones 2B, 3, 3A, 3B, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Plant Type Orchids, Perennials
Plant Family Orchidaceae
Genus Bletilla
Common names Ground Orchid
Exposure Partial Sun
Season of Interest Summer (Early, Mid)
Height 1' - 2'
(30cm - 60cm)
Spread 6" - 1'
(15cm - 30cm)
Spacing 4" (10cm)
Depth 2" - 3"
(5cm - 8cm)
Maintenance Low
Water Needs Average
Soil Type Loam
Soil pH Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage Moist but Well-Drained
Characteristics Plant of Merit, Showy
Garden Uses Beds And Borders, Patio And Containers
Garden Styles Informal and Cottage, Gravel and Rock Garden
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Alternative Plants to Consider

Bletilla striata ‘Kuchibeni’ (Chinese Ground Orchid)
Bletilla striata ‘Big Bob’ (Chinese Ground Orchid)
Bletilla striata ‘Alba’ (Chinese Ground Orchid)
Bletilla striata ‘Shi-Ran’ (Chinese Ground Orchid)
Bletilla formosana (Taiwan Ground Orchid)

Recommended Companion Plants

Helleborus (Hellebore)
Aquilegia (Columbine)
Hosta (Plantain Lily)
Brunnera macrophylla (Siberian Bugloss)

Find In One of Our Guides or Gardens

30 Great Perennials for Shade
Orchid
Bletilla (Hardy Orchids)
While every effort has been made to describe these plants accurately, please keep in mind that height, bloom time, and color may differ in various climates. The description of these plants has been written based on numerous outside resources.
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Requirements

Hardiness 5 - 9
Heat Zones 5 - 8
Climate Zones 2B, 3, 3A, 3B, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Plant Type Orchids, Perennials
Plant Family Orchidaceae
Genus Bletilla
Common names Ground Orchid
Exposure Partial Sun
Season of Interest Summer (Early, Mid)
Height 1' - 2'
(30cm - 60cm)
Spread 6" - 1'
(15cm - 30cm)
Spacing 4" (10cm)
Depth 2" - 3"
(5cm - 8cm)
Maintenance Low
Water Needs Average
Soil Type Loam
Soil pH Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage Moist but Well-Drained
Characteristics Plant of Merit, Showy
Garden Uses Beds And Borders, Patio And Containers
Garden Styles Informal and Cottage, Gravel and Rock Garden
How Many Plants
Do I Need?
Guides with
Bletilla
Not sure which Bletilla to pick?
Compare Now

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