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Christmas Orchid in the GardenTags plant encyclopedia

Cattleya Trianae

 

Christmas Orchid

Cattleya Trianae is the Colombian national flower. Flower size can reach 20cm and flower colour can vary. Intense colours, delicate markings and unusually shaped flowers make orchids ideal display plants. There are about 28,000 accepted species of orchid, distributed in about 763 genera. They can be terrestrial, epiphytic or lithophitic. Terrestrial orchids can be rhizomatous or form underground tubers. Epiphytic orchids use other plants, rocks or fallen trees for anchorage. They have modified aerial roots that can sometimes be a few meters long. Lithophytes are plants that grow in or on rocks. Lithophytes feed off nutrients from rain water and nearby decaying plants, including their own dead tissue. Most orchids are easy to grow if the right conditions are met, usually these are to do with light, temperature, humidity and watering.

Contributed by @vanessaworsnop

 
plant Features
  • Christmas Orchid likes partial shade

    Partial shade

  • Christmas Orchid likes occasional watering

    Occasional watering

  • Christmas Orchid is not frost hardy

    Not Frost hardy

  • Christmas Orchid likes moist and free draining

    Moist and free draining

 
plant information

Common name

Christmas Orchid

Latin name

Cattleya Trianae

type

Orchid

family

Orchidaceae

ph

5.0 - 8.0 Acid - Neutral

  • Light

    Christmas Orchid likes partial shade

    Partial shade

  • Frost

    Christmas Orchid is not frost hardy

    Not Frost hardy

  • Soil

    Christmas Orchid likes moist and free draining

    Moist and free draining

  • Water

    Christmas Orchid likes occasional watering

    Occasional watering

Plant & bloom calendar

  •  
    Best time to plant
  •  
    When the plant will bloom

full grown dimensions

The size of a fully grown Christmas Orchid is 0.50meters x 0.50meters 0.50 M 0.50 M

Cattleya Trianae

Cattleya Trianae is the Colombian national flower. Flower size can reach 20cm and flower colour can vary. Intense colours, delicate markings and unusually shaped flowers make orchids ideal display plants. There are about 28,000 accepted species of orchid, distributed in about 763 genera. They can be terrestrial, epiphytic or lithophitic. Terrestrial orchids can be rhizomatous or form underground tubers. Epiphytic orchids use other plants, rocks or fallen trees for anchorage. They have modified aerial roots that can sometimes be a few meters long. Lithophytes are plants that grow in or on rocks. Lithophytes feed off nutrients from rain water and nearby decaying plants, including their own dead tissue. Most orchids are easy to grow if the right conditions are met, usually these are to do with light, temperature, humidity and watering.


Planting young plants

From Early Autumn TO Late Autumn

Sometimes small plantlets (keiki) appear from the nodes on the flower stems. Detach the plantlets when they have developed several good roots and pot them up in orchid compost. Water them sparingly at first, but mist them daily. Always use a proprietary orchid compost. Ensure good light levels in winter, as these are essential to encourage flowering. An east- or west-facing window would be ideal. Move to a shadier spot in summer and protect from direct sunshine. When planting terrestrial orchids outdoors, plant in semi-shade, no direct sun at midday. A very suitable place would also be on the north side of a building. Most orchids are woodland plants and therefore prefer cool sites, which do not become too dry and hot during summer. Places where ferns thrive are also suitable for. Don’t plant your orchids close to trees or big shrubs because their roots are effective competition for water and nutrients! Autumn is the best season for planting. Spread out the roots in the upper 10 cm (4 inches) of the soil, the rhizome 2-3 cm (1 inch) below the surface, shoot buds upwards. Fill in the remaining substrate without compressing it, and water thoroughly.

 

Flowering

From Early Spring TO Late Winter

Many orchids do not have a flowering season and flowers may be produced at any time if the right conditions are being met. Terrestrial orchids grown outdoors will mostly flower in the summer months. Flowers can last for several months.

 
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