Bletilla

One of the really good Bletilla hybrids which develops very wide pleated leaves - wide for a Bletilla anyway - and tall spikes of pink flowers. Again, tall for a Bletilla but 30" is nothing to sneeze at especially when you get more flowers than the typical species. Easy and vigorous in Zone 6b, maybe lower.

This is a cultivar being exported from Holland. The flower color is a shade darker than typical so that is good. What isn't good is that this is an imposter. One reference we found says the flowers should face upwards, this doesn't but if it did, it would merit clonal naming. "Shi-ran" is simply the Japanese name for Bletilla which would suggest that this was a generic import by the Dutch from Japan. aarrgghh. Every source we have seen that lists this selection has this same plant. All of this said, it is a slightly darker form and not unlike one we grew years ago as 'Rosea' also from Holland.

This Zone 6 hardy orchid is a pretty serious Bletilla and it would have to be with a moniker like 'Big Bob'. It was a dream of mine to have a nickname like that but we'll delve into my psyche and childhood in another description. A fine selection with tall flower stems in ideal situations reaching 3' in height and bearing up to 15-20 pinkish unquestionably I'm-an-orchid flowers. A very vigorous selection which will go a long ways towards cementing your reputation as a gardener unafraid and somehow always managing to one-up everyone else in your gardening circle. These are chunky plants which you will find quite pleasing.

This is an overachieving Type A taking care of No. 1 first let me tell you some more about myself hardy Orchid but while we find these qualities wearisome in people, we are all over it when it comes to Orchids! Gotta love the attitude of a 40" flowering stem holding as many as 35 pale pink flowers, Nothing like a nice shot of mongrel hybrid vigor for excelling in the garden! Good drainage with moisture.

Very collectible selection of this hardy terrestrial orchid which boasts - yes, boasts, of its unique, light chartreuse foliage. if your ears, like ours, are tuned to that high frequency in which plants converse, you can just make out this orchid sounding like an NBA player after throwing down a one-handed jam from an alley-oop "Yeah! Lookit me! Me! I'm a bad-ass orchid! You ask yo mama how bad I am! An yo sister - she loves how my leaves shine when the lights go down." I've given up on the NBA because such displays are wearisome but somehow, with this orchid, it is an endearing cheekiness. Light yellow foliage looks it best in bright shade to part sun and not the part during the hot part of the day. Leaves 18"-24" with pinkish-purple flowers a few inches taller in June and hardy to zone 6 especially with winter mulch.

How does that old saying go something about 3 lips are better than one? Or was it heads? or was it 2? Nah pretty sure it was three lips and who would beg to disagree after seeing this oh-so-kissable little mutant hardy orchid. The name says it all, where the usual flowers of the species usually have only one ruffled lower edge the flowers on this form have a triangular trinity that only adds to the exotic appearance.