Ground Orchids: The Orchids for People Who Can’t Grow Orchids!
I’ve tried y’all. So many times.
All my life, I’ve loved orchids. How could you not? Those stunning blossoms, all similar, but uniquely different? You can decorate your trees with orchids and make both the orchid and the tree both more beautiful.
But I could never keep one alive for long. Not on a tree, nor in my home.
Get the “easy” orchids, they say.
Never cut the roots! Neglect it??
Give it shade, but enough sun to bloom.
An ice cube a day… but no soil. Moss???
And look, I know tons of people have a special hand with orchids, and can make ’em look like magic. I just can’t. Maybe growing orchids would occupy the same place in my life as painting landscapes, or Olympic victory in the luge: Nice to look at, but not for me.
And then one day Jen introduces me to ground orchids.
I couldn’t believe it. Ground orchids? An orchid that’s like a NORMAL plant? Why have I never heard of ground orchids? Off I ran to do a little research.
Turns out, there are two main types of ground orchids that will thrive in your South Florida garden just as they have in ours. They just don’t need the tree.
Spathoglottis plicata (Philippine Ground Orchid):
- Features palm-like leaves and thrives in partial shade.
- Blooms year-round with purple, yellow, or white flowers on an 18″ stem.
- Can spread and establish ground cover, producing seeds that can germinate in the soil—unlike most traditional orchids.
Epidendrum radicans (Reed-Stem Orchid):
- Taller, upright with reed-like stems, and bright orange or red flowers.
- Thrives in partial to full sun and is a favorite for lining walkways or adding height to garden beds.
Although reed varieties claim they they can tolerate ‘full sun’ we’ve had best results in part shade. Like a lot of plants we grow in south Florida, “full sun” rarely applies. The sun’s just different here. My rule of thumb is, unless I’m talking of cactuses, trees, or hardy succulents, most everything else grow does better in partial shade, even full shade.
One more reason to love these little beauties? They’re effortless to propagate!
Spathoglottis plicata (Philippine Ground Orchid) is the most widely available of about 40 species, has a rhizome that new shoots spring from which can be divided to grow new plants and will produce seeds that germinate directly in soil without all the sciency stuff they need to do with most orchids.
Epidendrum radicans (Reed-Stem Orchid), on the other hand, does not have rhizomes but can propagate through keikis (small plantlets) that form along the stems.
This means that once they establish you can have ground cover and a constant source of new orchids. Orchid ground cover!
We installed these in our own garden last year and they have not stopped blooming for months. And that’s why the Spathoglottis plicata (Philippine Ground Orchid): is this week’s first-ever Inch by Yard Plant of the Week.
Showstoppers
Not the plants you need, the plants you deserve.