Larch Hill Orchids

STENORRHYNCHOS SPECIOSA - Christmas Orchid

This terrestrial orchid is easily grown in Pro-mix or garden compost. Related to our native Spiranthes - Lady’s Tresses orchid, it grows in fairly low light and keeps the dark green speckled foliage. Keep evenly moist and it should not dry out. A program of weekly weakly fertilizing of a 1:1:1 ratio fertilizer should be used during the year with a change to a 1:2:1 ratio or bloom booster Dyno-Grow or fish emulsion fertilizer should be started about the first of September. It produces spikes of one inch red flowers with a white lip and 50 or more flowers per plant are common. After flowering is complete rest the plant by growing slightly drier and when new shoots begin at the base divide and repot.

Christmas Orchid

Seed harvested and analyzed,

Photomicrograph from Trymeyers.com

This species often appears on the show table. In so far as I know they all owe their origin to two compotes which came from Hoosier Orchids. As plants approached maturity I would often bring them to the sale table. Some of these exhibit so much vigor that they have been known to break clay pots if not repotted frequently. Even so the plant with the broken pot went to a show and picked up a ribbon. Seed harvested this spring was sent to Troymeyers.com and eventually seedlings will be available. So go onto the Troymeyers web site ands as soon as it is available gloom onto a vial.