Orchids and Epyphites

Giant Bird's nest anthurium. For those that love jungly plants. Their enormous wrinkly leaves have an almost cardboard like texture and grow to about 2ft. Used in places that have good natural light and lots of space.

Very rare! Anthurium vittarifolium is a South American rain forest native with beautiful, narrow leaves, that can grow up to 6 ft in length! These make an excellent hanging basket with their pendant growth and long strap leaves.

Bamboo ground orchid produces pinkish flowers at the top of tall cane-like pseudobulbs. It's the only species in the genus. The plants are quite tall; they'll reach at least hip level, possibly over your head, and their vegetative resemblance to bamboo can be uncanny. The long pseudobulbs have leaves alternating along their length, similar to Epidendrum orchids. The flower stems, which emerge from the top of the canes, produce several flowers sequentially, so that there will be one at a time over an extended period. The flowers are white with a purple-to-pink lip, and shaped similarly to a Cattleya orchid flower. They are 2-3 inches across, and can appear for much of the year, especially in summer.
See video about Ground Orchids.

Loose clusters of pale pink flowers with golden blotch bloom on wiry stems. Broadly ribbed, iris-like leaves. Hardy and easy to grow!
Bletilla striata Yokohama is a lovely, hardy ground orchid native to East Asia. A cross of Bletilla striata Big Bob x Bletilla formosana. Bletilla Kate makes a typical clump of upright, sword-like, pleated, green leaves. Starting in late spring, terminal spikes reach 40" tall with an open cluster of medium lavender flowers, each highlighted by a dark purple stripe down the back center of each petal and a very dark purple lip surrounding a yellow throat. It is a relatively chardy orchid, in cooler climates leaves turn yellow in the fall before they die back for the winter.
Grows almost anywhere but prefers a rich, well-drained soil with adequate moisture. Water during growing season.


See video about Ground Orchids.

Anthonys Rick-Rack. This curious epiphyte is grown for the strange leaves which lend it the common name Ric-Rac Cactus, Zig-Zag or Fishbone Cactus. In the wild it attaches itself to trees, clinging by little aerial root filaments along the zigzagging succulent leaves, but is adaptable to terrestrial habits. It loves strong yet indirect lighting. It does not need a lot of water and should be permitted to dry out entirely between waterings. It is nightblooming and its flowers last only a single night in spring.

Climbing by attaching its roots to the host tree, this epiphyte can reach a height 9 ft. It has pendent stems, and small button-like, silver-grey leaves. This little vine has cute little coin shaped leaves. It can be grown as a hanging basket or pot, or on moss or bark. It likes bright light but not direct sun over the plant. The mix needs to be kept moderately dry between waterings. They don't like too much water and misting the plant once or twice a week should do the job. Liquid feeding once a month with half strength is adequate. It is also good for terrariums.

Disocactus ackermanni, also called the Red Orchid Cactus, puts on a jaw-dropping show with huge, blazing red flowers that can reach 6 inches wide! It's a cactus that acts nothing like one - and then bursts out in flowers the size of your hand.
It blooms from spring through summer and steals the spotlight every time. The plant grows like a lush, green fern with flat stems that drape and cascade like a living chandelier.
It may be a cactus, but it loves water and shade - more diva than desert. Native to the tropical forests of Mexico, this epiphyte thrives in a hanging basket and turns heads wherever it grows.
Why do collectors search for it? Because it's rare, eye-catching, and just plain fun to grow. No spines, no drama - just bold flowers and easy charm. This is one of those plants that visitors always ask about. If you're a collector, it's not a want - it's a need. In cultivation, it has been confused with Disocactus jenkinsonii, a hybrid between D. phyllanthoides and D. speciosus.

Beautiful lavender flowers with white and golden lip.
Epidendrum is a diverse neotropical genus that has flowers characterized by a frilly or fringed lip. This feature is occasionally diagnostic to distinguish between species. These orchids are widely cultivated and may be hybridized with Sophronitis, another South American genus. The flowers are usually small and delicately colored, and borne on a dense inflorescence. Many species have a fragrance.
See video about Ground Orchids.