Orchid Types – Incredible Diversity and Beauty
There are over 100,000 combined hybrids and species of orchids. Within this incredible number of diversity and beauty, there are four broad type categories of orchids. Each of the four orchid types originates from a particular growing environment. Epiphytes are climbing orchids. Typically in nature, their roots make an attachment to tree bark. Saprophyte orchids subsist on decaying matter.
Lithophytes can live on rocks, with a minimal amount of soil. Terrestrial orchids grow in the soil. The most common orchids you will see in garden centers are Cattleya, Dendrobium, Cymbidium, Odontoglossum, Paphiopedilum, and Phalaenopsis. When choosing an orchid for your home or garden, you should first decide where you want to display it.
Other things to consider when choosing your orchid are the climatic conditions of your home or garden. You should pick the one that fits best in the space you have for it. Although it is hard to generalize anything about orchids, most do not like direct sun, but filtered light, and need to be watered well, but drained well.
These are important to remember when you pick the planting area for orchid types. Paphiopedilum orchids come from East Asia. They are known by their broad leaves. The Slipper orchid is one type from this group. Phalaenopsis, or Moth orchids, have wind-like flower petals that resemble a moth in flight. They come in many colors, patterns, and shades.
Ondontoglossum orchids originate from the Andes Mountains. They favor a cooler environment, and grow colorful flowers with delicate markings and patterns. Cymbidium orchid types come from South America. They are most commonly planted in home pots or in gardens. Large and grassy plants, their blooms last for months. Considered the ‘King of Orchids’, they are also used as cut flowers and used in floral arrangements. In nature, they are found in South East Asia, Japan, China, and Australia.
If you own a Cymbidium orchid, you may have it for a lifetime. Dendrobium orchids come in a wide variety of colors. These plants produce generous sprays of flowers. An Epiphytic type of orchid, it is exotic and one of the easiest orchids to care for. Also called the ‘Singapore Orchid’, these are glamorous and elegant.
Cattleya orchid types are the most popular to the home and garden. They have a delicate scent, and come in a wide mix of colors. They are most often used for bouquets and corsages. Vanda orchids have flat petals that are all of the same size. These are one of orchid lover’s favorites. Vandas are Monopodial in growth, meaning the plant grows upward from a single point. These orchid types have a single stem.
80 species of Vandas are native to the Himalayas, Indonesia, China, and Northern Australia. Rare orchids are often sought out by flower lovers. The Phal Amboinesis ‘Flava’ is one rare orchid type that is an albino flower. The stems of this plant grow indefinitely.
The Phal Amboinesis ‘Yellow’ is also rare. Both of these rare types are Monopodial in growth habit. Another rare type is the sympodial orchid. They are characterized by their successions of shoots or bulb like stems.
