Moth Orchid：Peace, Friendship, Happiness, Strength

Moth orchids (any species from genus Phalaenopsis) are epiphytes in subtropical rainforests that originate from Southeast Asia and the surrounding regions. Its flowers are gorgeous and delicate and resemble butterflies flying around the branches. They also have a long blooming period, so they serve as ideal indoor flower plants.

After a series of artificial hybridization and breeding, they have successfully dominated the potted and cut flower market. You can find all kinds of colors, patterns, and sizes of moth orchids. Hence, you can always pick the one that fits your taste to decorate your interior.

Place to see

If you want to enjoy the beauty of moth orchids, the Singapore Botanical Gardens will definitely surprise you. As one of the seven largest botanical gardens in the world, the Singapore Botanical Gardens is also the first UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site in Singapore.

The National Orchid Garden is the most distinctive and attractive part of the Singapore Botanical Gardens. It covers an area of 30,000 square meters (7.5 acres), displaying more than 3,000 varieties, including various phalaenopsis, and more than 60,000 rare orchids.

There are also special nurseries and research institutes established in the orchid garden where new varieties of orchids are cultivated constantly.

Orchidelirium

The popularity of orchids did not just happen overnight. It dates back to the Victorian era when orchids were considered luxury goods belonging to the elite. Various orchids, including moth orchids, sparked a boom in Europe, and it was no surprise to bid 1,000 British pounds for a new orchid variety at an auction.

At that time, specialized orchid hunters were hired to track wild exotic species and bring them back to collectors. They were passionate about displaying orchids in gorgeous private greenhouses.

After that, the trend spread across the ocean to the United States. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s famous novel, “The Great Gatsby”, the author describes the life of the American upper class in the 1920s. When Gatsby and her lover, Daisy, whom he hadn’t seen for several years, meet again, to surprise her, he decorated the house with orchids to welcome her, because these expensive flowers were Daisy’s favorite.

From flowers to leaves

In East Asia, the more popular orchid is a kind of Orchidaceae plant called Chinese Cymbidium, which has a long history of cultivation and a strong historical and cultural background.

Most of the Chinese orchids are terrestrial plants that sprout delicate flowers with bright and fresh colors. They also tend to give out an attractive floral fragrance. In East Asia, the Chinese Cymbidium is regarded as a symbol of high purity and elegance, but interestingly, the delicate leaves of the orchids are actually more of a spectacle.

Famous work of Mulan Art by Zhao Meng Jian (1199-1264)

In fact, the transformation from flower to leaf also exists in nature. Some flowers of the Phalaenopsis species do not wither after finishing their role of attracting insects. After pollination, these petals turn green, produce chloroplasts, and carry out photosynthesis, functioning as a leaf.

Can I grow a decent Phalaenopsis?

Phalaenopsis originate from the tropical rainforest and so might prefer different conditions from our living environment. They attach to trunks that are not directly exposed to the sun, and the surrounding air is warm and moist.

Therefore, if you want it to grow well, you need to replicate its original environment as much as possible when potting. Pick a breathable bark matrix, and mix with perlite, charcoal, coconut shell fragments, and other materials to hold the water. Do not allow the leaves to be exposed to direct sunlight to avoid burns. In addition, proper ventilation is also very important to healthy growth.

To keep the shape of the plant symmetrical, it is necessary to rotate the plant from time to time to prevent it from growing towards the direction of sunlight. Note that the root of Phalaenopsis will reflect the condition of its health.

When planting, choose a transparent plastic pot so that you can see when the root turns silver-white, which means it needs to be watered.

Size: 8 to 36 inches tall (depending on species and variety), 12 inches wide

Hardiness: Zones 10 to 12

Sunlight: Bright shade

Soil: Moist, bark-like potting media，slightly acidic to neutral

Bloom time: Spring and summer; indoors, it is a repeat seasonal bloomer