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Winter is finally coming to a close here in the USA, and spring is bringing in lots of sunshine and warmth to grow some of the most beautiful orchids.
Just imagine orchids hanging in baskets with long tendrals of roots reaching to the floor and sprays of colored flowers as large as 10 cm reaching up to the sun. In this article I am going to tell you about such plants called Vandaceous orchids. All orchids that have the same characteristics as the Vanda genus is called a vandaceous orchids and they are grouped together to form the Vanda relatives. Included in this group are the Vanda, Ascocentrum, Aerides, Renanthera, Rhynchostylis - all belong to the subtribe Vandoidae of the orchid family. Between these, they form many hybrids like my favorites Ascofinetia, Aranda and Vandaenopsis. Most of these are monopodial in habit, with aerial roots appearing along the stem. Many of the orchids in these groups have nicknames like Scorpion Orchids or Spider orchids. Vanda relatives originate from tropical Asia. The Vanda generic name was adopted from Sanskrit by Jones in 1795 when he described the type species of the genus, V. roxburghii. According to certain benevolent interpretations, Jones used the Sanskrit name of an another orchid now known as Vanda tesselata (Roxburgh) D.Don (1795.). This interpretation seems to be a kind of euphemism or snobbery. In Jones's time epiphytic orchids were believed to be parasites on their supporting trees - and in Sankrit Vanda meant not an orchid but a true epiphytic parasite belonging in Loranthaceae, the mistletoe family. Nowadays in Southeast Asia Vandaceous orchids are mass-produced in lath houses. Along with their hybrids, they are producing the most fantastic flowers you can imagine. |
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Vandaceous orchids are divided into three groups and are categorized by the shape of their leaves: Strap-leaf - Ascocentrum ampullaceum is just one example of these types of orchids. They have broad, flat, leathery leaves. This group likes lots of warmth and partial shade around noon time. You will find species such as Vanda sanderiana, merrillii, coerulea and the genus Ascocentrum in this group along with many hybrids. Terete - Orchids that have leaves shaped like a thin round pencil. They love full sun and lots of humidity and warmth. V. teres and V. hookeriana are samples of this type of orchid and of course we can not forget the most famous terete Vanda, which is also the National Flower of Singapore, Vanda Miss Joaquim 'Agnes'. See one of its parents here. Semi-terete - such as Ascocenda 'Udom Chai' and other orchid hybrids between the strap-leaf and terete types. Their leaves are thin like the pencils, but are flatter. They like warmth and partial shade like the strap-leaf orchids. Vandaceous orchids are very easy to grow if you can provide the critical amount of sunshine and warmth they require. If you live in a warm climate such as Florida or Hawaii, you can grow these outside year round. In these areas, they are grown in lath houses, on patios or in trees where they receive some full morning sun and partial shade from the hot afternoon sun. In colder climates, try to grow them outdoors until the temperature drops to about 60 °F (16 °C) at night. Bring them indoors to a bright location where they will receive some sunshine. When your plants outgrow their containers, try to do your repotting in the spring. Potted plants should use coarse media such as fir bark, charcoal, tree fern fiber, coconut chips or any fast draining material. Orchids growing in baskets will not have to be repotted often. When they have outgrown their baskets, place the entire plant and basket into a larger basket without disturbing the plant. After potting, keep your orchid shaded area and adjust the humidity higher then normal until you see active root growth. |
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