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These flowers are the embodiment of tenderness, sophistication, and beauty. Once you fall in love with orchids, you cannot drive them out either from your heart or your home greenhouse. But novice florists are often confused by the capricious nature of these exotic plants. If you, too, have recently fallen victim to their charm, a short tour of orchid species with photos and names will make you feel more confident.
1. Phalaenopsis
One of the most popular representatives of the orchid family is suitable for beginners since it is unpretentious in care and affordable. Typical Phalaenopsis is a monopodial epiphyte. That is, it has one growth point and, in natural conditions, settles on trees. Most of the natural species, about 70 in total, come from the hot and humid regions of Southeast Asia.
Phalaenopsis blooms for a long time (2-3 months) and often, up to 3 times a year. The colors are varied: snow-white, pink, lilac, yellow, brown, often with a contrasting lip and speckled petals. Almost all orchids of a pink-violet range are hybrid. Few of them have a pronounced aroma.
Popular Varieties :
- Big lime
- Wild cat
- Royal
- Philadelphia
- Golden
2. Dendrobium
This type of orchid has up to 1.5 thousand varieties, comes from Oceania, and belongs to the group of sympodial epiphytes. That is, it grows on trees and forms pseudobulbs. Dendrobiums are very diverse: some produce single flowers up to 7 cm in diameter on long peduncles, and some form lush racemose inflorescences with touching small flowers.
Dendrobium means tree dweller. And although many orchids prefer to cling to larger representatives of the flora, this species has been awarded this name for its large numbers and widespread occurrence.
Dendrobium may seduce inexperienced growers because of the abundant and prolonged flowering. Still, this handsome man is not without a catch – he is hygrophilous and daily irrigated with water from a finely dispersed spray bottle.
Favorite Representatives of this Type of Orchid :
- Nobile
- Stardust
- Christie
- Lindley
3. Cymbidium
Orchids of this species number about 60 hybrid and natural varieties grow in Indochina, Australia, and the Japanese islands and, for the most part, belong to epiphytic sympodial plants. Still, there are also lithophytes (growing in the ground). The color of the petals of a typical Cymbidium is cream, yellow, red, or brown, and the impressive (up to 13 cm in diameter) flowers often have a large contrasting lip.
The main feature of Cymbidiums is their frost resistance inherited from their natural “parents.” Even hybrids prefer to grow in temperatures around 18-20 degrees Celsius, moderate humidity, and bright but diffused light. The varieties bloom each in their own time, so you can populate the greenhouse so that at least someone in it always pleases the eye. The disadvantages of Cymbidiums are susceptibility to viruses and sensitivity to sudden changes in temperature.
Common Varieties :
- Day
- Tracey
- Lowe
- Eburneum
- Aloe leaf
4. Oncidium
This easy-to-maintain species of orchid originated in the jungles of South America. It grows along the shores of the Amazon and belongs to sympodial, while there are both epiphytic and lithophytic varieties. Oncidium may seem uninteresting because of the scarcity of colors (almost all yellow with red or brown spots). Still, the flowers are wonderful as they look like a ballerina frozen in a pirouette, which is why the view is also called a “dancing doll.”
Florists love Oncidium for their patience with flaws in care. Large pseudobulbs allow this “good guy” to do without water for up to 2-3 weeks. However, he will take revenge on you – he will not bloom with such an attitude. And the main drawback of this type of orchid is weak resistance to the encroachments of aphids and gray rot.
The Best Quality Representatives of the Genus :
- Twinkle
- Sweet Sugar
- Sherri Baby
- Tiger
- Papilionaceous
5. Paphiopedilum
An unpretentious type of orchid came to us from the foothills of the Himalayas, where it grows on trees and in rock crevices, and therefore is not afraid of the cold but loves long daylight hours. Paphiopedilum is the owner of a wide range of colors (white, cream, lemon, green, cherry, scarlet, spotted) and flowers of very different sizes (from 5 to 20 cm in diameter).
Orchids bloom for a long time, up to 4 months in a row, including in winter, and it is better to keep them cool (16-18 degrees) behind a lace curtain that gently diffuses light. Their soft juicy leaves are afraid of burns and easily rot if water accumulates in the hollows near the stems, so sprinkling this type of orchid must be done cautiously.
The Most Popular Varieties :
- Fire
- Rothschild
- Harris
- Sukhakula
- Nice little one
6. Odontoglossum
Most natural varieties of this type of orchid have chosen the foothills of the Andes, but Odontoglossums are found throughout Latin America. These are fragrant, star-shaped, sometimes two-tricolor beauties, which are more often than others covered with leopard spots. There are lithophytes and epiphytes, but they all have a common feature – heaped, flattened pseudobulbs.
The look is capricious, requiring experience. It is advisable to put flowers a meter from the window and protect from the scorching sun rays, water once a week at the usual time, and twice a week when a young pseudobulb is actively developing. The obligatory level of air humidity in the room is 55-60%.
Popular Odontoglossums :
- Cordate
- Citric
- Spotted
- Crispum
7. Zygopetalum
Another visitor from the Amazon Valley, the sympodial epiphyte or lithophyte, has about 30 varieties distinguished by horizontal branching. Zygopetalum flowers smell pleasantly sweet, reach 7-8 cm in diameter, and can have almost any color, from white to burgundy and inky. Usually, the petals have two or three-part colors.
Keeping Zygopetalums at home is easy. You need to provide them with a cool shaded nest because these species of orchids grow in the lower tier of the jungle in nature. Plants do not tolerate heat, and even 25 degrees is too much for them.
The Most Famous Varieties :
- Wastepaper
- Amazonica
- Three hundred
- Maxillaria
- Linden
8. Vanda
Expensive (up to 5000 rubles) luxurious monopodial epiphyte from South-West Asia and Northern Australia is demanding not only for your wallet but also for care. Vanda needs regular sprinkling, high humidity (up to 80%), a temperature regime within 26-28 degrees, and long, bright lighting. Most likely, you will have to equip the greenhouse with fluorescent lamps.
The huge (up to 15 cm in diameter) captivating flowers of this plant are usually painted in shades of lilac, pink or purple. But they do not gain brightness immediately – at first, they look tender-salad, and a few days after the buds bloom, they acquire their final appearance.
Popular Varieties :
- Tricolor
- Chess
- Rolled
- Blue
- Sander
9. Cattleya
Typical Amazonian sympodial epiphyte absorbs moisture from the air and soil and photosynthesizes with the aerial root system. About 120 varieties of this type of orchid are known; there are mainly hybrids on the shelves of flower shops, and they are inexpensive 400-800 rubles. Cattleya is white, pink, purple, crimson, lilac. Her flowers are gorgeous – huge (up to 25 cm), delicate, often with double petals.
Cattleya cannot be called fussy. It feels stable at temperatures of 18-20 degrees, soft continuous lighting, medium soil moisture, and weekly watering by lowering the pot into the water. But it blooms once a year, usually in the fall, and fades in a month.
Common Varieties :
- Labiat
- Maxim
- Valkeriana
- Schroeder
- French fox
10. Lycaste
In nature, this tall, majestic sympodial lithophyte is found in the Caribbean and below, up to Bolivia and Peru. Wild Lycaste grows at an altitude of 1-2 thousand meters above sea level, so it does not like high humidity and does not fear cold weather. On one bush, 2-5 large (up to 20 cm) fragrant wax flowers of white-pink-greenish gamut usually bloom, and they last up to 3 months.
It isn’t easy to grow Lycaste in an ordinary apartment. Only about 40 species of indoor plants are suitable for this, and the rest are too large. The price bites (about 4-5 thousand rubles per adult), and for the plant to bloom, careful feeding and regular watering are needed.
The Most Spectacular Varieties :
- Fragrant
- Consobrin
- Lasioglossa
- Skinner
11. Miltonia
You cannot advise inexperienced flower growers to acquire this Brazilian-Colombian whimsical beauty. On the one hand, like all the Amazonian sympodial epiphytes, Miltonia agrees to a middle ground in conditions of detention – she does not need extreme humidity, light, and temperature. On the other hand, all indoor varieties of this type of orchid, and there are about a dozen of them, test the strength of the nerves of their owners for a long time until they begin to bloom stably for 2 months with fragrant miniature (4-5 cm) variegated flowers.
Miltoniopsis, a direct relative of Miltonia, is more common in our stores. It is more predictable, but it still has fragile roots and, after transplantation, can declare a boycott of flowering for no apparent reason.
The Most Interesting Varieties :
- Patricia
- Sunset
- Mix
- Varshevich
12. Cambria
This type of orchid does not exist in nature; it is artificially bred with the participation of three or more different sympodial epiphytes. The hybrid turns out to be unpretentious, stable, and blooming for a long time with medium-sized (up to 10 cm) star-shaped flowers of various colors: cream, yellow, brown, scarlet, multicolored, and spotted. Cambria grows horizontally and looks like a climbing vine.
Cumbria has average requirements for keeping conditions, and you need to try not to lower the humidity level in the room below 60% and illuminate the plant with lamps in winter. This species usually blooms in late autumn and delights the eye and scent for almost the entire remaining period of the year.
The Best Varieties :
- Eurostar
- Margarita Holm
- Burrageara
- Colmanara
13. Laelia
The compact (30-60 cm) horizontally branching sympodial litho- or epiphyte has huge bright flowers (15-25 cm) compared to the growth, the color of which can literally be any. The homeland of Laelia is Latin America. This type of orchid is especially widely represented in the wild in Brazil and Mexico. Laelia does not differ in varietal variety (only about 20 varieties), but the shape of the petals can be either straight or wavy.
Only a devoted and experienced Orhiman can grow Laelia and achieve regular flowering. She needs a bright, diffused light of the sun for at least 10 hours during the day. The humidity at the 70-75% level usually has to be maintained with a household humidifier or regularly sprayed the flower.
The Most Unusual Laelia :
- Gorgeous
- Blushing
- Double-edged
- Purple
- Gould
14. Brassia
Another indigenous inhabitant of the tropical jungle of the Amazon is a classic sympodial epiphyte with large (10-15 cm) monochromatic or variegated flowers, painted mainly in yellow, orange, and brown tones. The Brassia species has about 30 interesting varieties, is considered unpretentious, and costs an average of 1000 rubles.
Brassia attracts with its vanilla scent and, with proper care, tends to bloom all year round. It requires bright indirect lighting, sufficient (60-70%) air humidity, and a stable temperature (23-25 degrees).
The Varieties :
- Warty
- Tailed
- Spotted
- Antagonist
- Orange
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