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A Note on the Cultural Information

The cultural information given is not in any way intended to be a definitive account of how orchids should be grown. Success with orchids, in fact with any group of plants, requires the grower to get to know their plants. Armed with basic information on how to care for your orchids, whether gleaned from books or websites, you can begin the wondrous adventure into orchid growing. The first important step you need to take is getting to know them, not as a group, but as individuals. Check your charges daily, look at what they are doing; this may entail daily lifting of the pots and taking a close look at what is going on. Are they showing signs of slowing down? Are the roots healthy? Or is root action just starting for the spring? Only with this daily observing will you know what your plants require, or are suffering from, and this is no different whether you grow orchids, roses or African Violets.

The information I offer is based on nearly 30 years of growing orchids. Like everyone else, I started with a book and advice from other growers. As a gardener for many years on Scottish estates, I was expected to be able to grow orchids, amongst other things, so information was passed on to me by retiring head-gardeners I replaced. This information I used and modified to suit my own growing techniques and facilities, and that is the best piece of information I can pass on to you. Read and digest the information, whether here or in books or on other websites, but modify it when needed, use it only as a guide, rearrange to suit you and your plants. As is often said about this hobby and many others, your plants don’t go to libraries, nor do they surf the web, they will always do something completely different to what you read, they are like children and animals, they have a mind of their own.

You may be wondering why I chose the group of orchids I did, to write about. Simply, they are plants that are often easy enough to buy, especially now that trading is much easier across borders, but basically, they are the plants that I either currently grow, or offer for sale, or have grown at some time over the last three decades.

Use the information offered to enhance your growing experience, or perhaps to do better with a particular plant you have been struggling with. Use a bit from here and there, and mix it with what you already know, or someone else has already told you, but more importantly, don’t get yourself bogged down in detail and remove the pleasure, enjoy your plants.

Bill.



Ada

Ada aurantiaca : The orange-red Ada
Ada ocanensis : The Ada from Ocana

Aerangis

Aerangis biloba : Two-lobed, referring to the lobed leaves.
Aerangis citrata : Lemon-scented
Aerangis mystacidii : Mystacidium-like. Referring to its similarity to the genus Mystacidium.

Aerides

Aerides falcata : Sickle shaped, probably referring to the leaves.
Aerides lawrenciae : Lady Lawrence's Aerides

Ascocentrum

Ascocentrum miniatum : Red coloured

Bifrenaria

Bifrenaria tetragona : The four-angled Bifrenaria

Calanthe

Calanthe cardioglossa : Heart-shaped lip Calanthe

Campylocentrum

Campylocentrum Sp. : -

Cattleya

Cattleya aurantiaca : Orange Cattleya
Cattleya forbesii. : Forbes’ Cattleya an English orchid collector.
Cattleya loddigesii : Loddiges’ Cattleya. An English orchid collector and nurseryman.
Cattleya percivaliana : Skinners Cattleya. An English orchid trader and collector.
Cattleya skinneri : Skinner’s Cattleya. An English orchid trader and collector.

Ceratochilus

Ceratochilus biglandulosa : Having two types of glands

Chiloschista

Chiloschista usenoides : Like Lichen

Cochleanthes

Cochleanthes amazonica : From the Amazon
Cochleanthes discolour : -

Coelogyne

Coelogyne cristata : Crested
Coelogyne fimbriata : From the fringed lip
Coelogyne mooreana : Moore’s Coelogyne – 19th century director of Edinburgh Botanic Gardens.
Coelogyne ochracea : The ochre Coelogyne.

Cymbidium

Cymbidium atropurpureum : The purple flowered Cymbidium.
Cymbidium finlaysonianum : Finlayson’s Cymbidium.
Cymbidium pubescens : Downy, short-haired.

Dendrobium

Dendrobium amethystoglossum : Amethyst tongue
Dendrobium arcuatum : Bow-shaped or arched. Possibly referring to the shape of the canes.
Dendrobium dearei : Deare’s Dendrobium. An English plant collector.
Dendrobium draconis : Dragon
Dendrobium hercoglossum :
Dendrobium heterocarpum : Different Fruit
Dendrobium laevifolium : Smooth leaves
Dendrobium linguiforme : Elongated
Dendrobium miyakei : Named after a Philippine orchid collector.
Dendrobium nobile : The showy Dendrobium.
Dendrobium pierardii : Pierard’s Dendrobium. An Indian Civil servant who retired to Kew.
Dendrobium sanderae : Named after Sander & Sons.
Dendrobium scheutzei : Schuetze's Dendrobium.
Dendrobium thyrsiflorum : Flowers arranged in a thyrse. (A flower cluster with a central spike).
Dendrobium tortile : Twisted. Refers to the twist in the sepals and petals.
Dendrobium victoria-reginae : named for Queen Victoria.

Dendrochilum

Dendrochilum convallariiforme : Like Lilly of the valley.

Doritis

Doritis pulcherrima : Beautiful Doritis

Encyclia

Encyclia bulbosa : Bulbous.
Encyclia campylostalix : -
Encyclia cochleatum : From the Greek, meaning to twist or spiral. Commonly known as the cockle shell orchid.

Epidendrum

Epidendrum janeirense : From Rio de Janeiro
Epidendrum radicans : Roots from the stem

Galeandra

Galeandra baueri : Named in honour of the Austrian botanical artist

Holcoglossum

Holcoglossum kimballianum : Kimball’s Holcoglossum, an American orchid grower
Holcoglossum subulifolium : Awl-shaped leaves

Kefersteinia

Kefersteinia tolimensis : The Kefersteinia from Tolima.

Laelia

Laelia anceps : -
Laelia tenebrosa : The shade-growing Laelia.

Lemboglossum

Lemboglossum cordatum : Heart Shaped

Lycaste

Lycaste lasioglossa : Woolly-lipped

Masdevallia

Masdevallia barleana : Barla’s Masdevallia. A Brazilian orchid collector.
Masdevallia caesia : The light blue Masdevallia.
Masdevallia coccinea : Scarlet Masdevallia.
Masdevallia infracta : -
Masdevallia molossus : -

Maxillaria

Maxillaria picta : The painted Maxillaria.
Maxillaria tenuifolia : Slender leaved Maxillaria.

Neofinetia

Neofinetia falcata : Sickle-shaped. It is also known in Japan as “The Wind Orchid”.

Odontoglossum

Odontoglossum crispum : Curled or wavy margins.
Odontoglossum crocidipterum : From Croc meaning Saffron yellow, and dipterum meaning two-winged
Odontoglossum harryanum : named for Harry Veitch, English orchid grower
Odontoglossum portilae : -

Oerstedella

Oerstedella centradenia : -
Oerstedella pinifera : -

Oncidium

Oncidium batemannianum : Bateman’s Oncidium. An English orchid grower
Oncidium bolivianum : From the Bolivian Oncidium
Oncidium cariniferum : Carina – keeled and ferum – bearing; the keeled Oncidium.
Oncidium croesus : -
Oncidium flexuosum : Winding. Referring to the winding, arching inflorescence.
Oncidium forbesii : Named in honour of Mr Forbes, orchid grower to the Duke of Bedford in the 19th century.
Oncidium hookeri : -
Oncidium ornithorynchum : Bird's beak.

Paphiopedilum

Paphiopedilum bellatulum : Pretty Paphiopedilum.

Phalaenopsis

Phalaenopsis aphrodite : Aphrodite's Phalaenopsis
Phalaenopsis schilleriana : Schiller's Phalaenopsis, a German Orchid Enthusiast.

Phragmipedium

Phragmipedium longifolium : Long leaves.
Phragmipedium pearcei : Named for Mr Pearce a 19th century orchid grower.

Pleione

Pleione formosana : From Formosa.

Pleurothallis

Pleurothallis hemirhoda : From the Greek, hemi meaning half, and rhoda meaning rose-colored.

Promenaea

Promenaea xanthina : The yellow Promenaea.

Rossioglossum

Rossioglossum splendens : Splendid flowered.
Rossioglossum williamsianum : Named after Williams, a 19th century orchid nurseryman.

Sophronitis

Sophronitis coccinea : The scarlet Sophronitis.

Vanda

Vanda coerulea : Blue coloured Vanda.
Vanda denisoniana : Named for Lady Denison an orchid enthusiast.

Warmingia

Warmingia eugenii : Named for Eugenius Warming.

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