Bletilla striata (Hardy Orchid)
Hardy Orchid, Chinese Ground Orchid, Hyacinth Orchid, Bletilla hyacinthina
Unlike many orchids, award-winning Bletilla striata 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 mid to late spring, 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 early 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
Buy Bletilla striata (Hardy Orchid)
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 | Bulbs |
Exposure | Partial Sun |
Season of Interest |
Spring (Mid,Late) |
Height | 1' – 2' (30cm – 60cm) |
Spread | 6" – 1' (15cm – 30cm) |
Spacing | 4" (10cm) |
Depth | 2" – 3" (5cm – 7cm) |
Water Needs | Average |
Maintenance | Low |
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 | Gravel and Rock Garden |
paylessimages / tkaiworks / 123RF Stock Photo
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.
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 | Bulbs |
Exposure | Partial Sun |
Season of Interest |
Spring (Mid,Late) |
Height | 1' – 2' (30cm – 60cm) |
Spread | 6" – 1' (15cm – 30cm) |
Spacing | 4" (10cm) |
Depth | 2" – 3" (5cm – 7cm) |
Water Needs | Average |
Maintenance | Low |
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 | Gravel and Rock Garden |