Ground Orchids

[redant]

I'm in the process of seperating a big bunch of Spathoglottis Plicata, planning on doing a big grouping of them in the semi-shade. Anyone have good luck with this and have pictures to prove it?

[ariscott]

I have 3 growing... but do I count? They need a bit of sun here...

[bahia]

Spathiglottis is a no-go plant outdoors here in northern California, I wish we could grow it. All the garden photos of this plant in landscapes I've ever seen taken in Florida always seem to show this in sun or dappled sun. I wouldn't think it would bloom all that well in deep shade. The somewhat similar Bletilla striata hardy Chinese Ground Orchid can be grown in the shade of deciduous trees here in California and still bloom, but it won't bloom well if grown with year round shade. I'd think Spathiglottis would be similar...

[palmmermaid]

I don't have pictures but I did plant a bunch of these a few years ago. The bed was on the south side of the house so they received a lot of light as I had no shade at the time. After I got some shade established, they did not do as well and I dug them out and gave them away. They bloomed all the time, even in winter. They were unaffected by the hurricanes in 2004 and 2005. When I planted mine, they were very expensive. Now they are pretty cheap and very available. Go for it.

[Laisla87]

  On 1/14/2012 at 12:18 AM, ariscott said:

I have 3 growing... but do I count? They need a bit of sun here...

I first saw them in Darwin several years ago and was fascinated by them. I was then flabergasted to find them growing like weeds in some colder suburbs of Sydney. However, these turned out to be imposters - a clumping palm-leafed plant that looks exactly like the orchids, minus the flowers (the name escapes me)

Do they do well in Southern California?

[redant]

Palm grass,(CURCULIGO CAPITULATA) maybe?

[Laisla87]

  On 1/18/2012 at 10:17 PM, redant said:

Palm grass,(CURCULIGO CAPITULATA) maybe?

Yes, that's it. They look very similar to these orchids

[bahia]

I'd also be curious to know if anyone is successfully growing this ground orchid outdoors in the ground anywhere in southern California? I've always lusted after it, having seen it in Miami gardens and also in Bali, but had assumed it wouldn't like coastal California conditions. Maybe as an indoor/outdoor container subject, but I've never seen it used here even as a summer accent plant.