Chinese ground orchid
Bletilla striata
search for an exotic addition to your garden without the high maintenance ? Say hello to the Chinese undercoat orchid ! This little jewel is a plot - changer for those of us who woolgather of growing beautiful orchids in our own backyards but do n’t have mild winters .
Type : PseudobulbBlooms : Small , orchidlike pinkish - over-embellished flush from mid- to late springLight : Part shadeSoil : Moist , well - drainedPests : None seriousSize:12 to 18 in . tall , 6 to 12 in . wideHardiness : cold-blooded hardy in USDA zones 5 to 9Plant author : Plant Delights Nursery , 919 - 772 - 4794
Chinese ground orchid creates carpet of color
flora grow from pseudobulbs , which are above - ground reed organ that store food for overwintering . Each pseudobulb produces three to five sword - shaped , pale dark-green result that last until frost . Pink - purple orchid - similar blooms are 1½ inch long . Every stem has 12 blooms that flower from mid- to late bound followed by greenish seedheads that age to embrown as they mature . With its easily - going nature and resiliency in cooler climates , it ’s certain to become your new garden favorite .
produce Chinese ground orchid in clump or drift under a canopy of Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree oralong the boundary of a border , where you may love its blossom up close . In the correct uprise conditions , plant life will naturalize over time , spread out by surreptitious rhizomes and seeds to produce a carpet of color from mid- to belated spring .
Tips for growing Chinese ground orchid
In early bound , after danger of frost has go on , plant incandescent lamp 2 to 3 inches deep and 8 to 12 inches aside . put on a 1- to 2 - inch level of compost at planting fourth dimension and avoid feed for at least the first year or two . If you have enough plants to separate , you may do so in downfall by carefully dig up the pseudobulbs and dissever them into incision before replanting division at the same profundity as the original plant .
In zone 5 , protect plants with a 3- to 4 - inch stratum of mulch or husk before the first rime to check the plant survives the winter . In cold zona you cantreat it like other tender bulbsand overwinter it indoors in a cool , dark place until the following spring .
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