Phalaenopsis

Phalaenopsis are today what the Cattleya was in the early 20th century: an icon of orchidness in the popular imagination, and a great commercial success. Phalaenopsis are the most widely-known and commercially available orchid genus, beloved for their gracefully arching inflorescences that hold aloft the wide, round-petalled flowers that have earned Phalaenopsis the moniker, “the moth orchid.” Beyond these popular large-flowering hybrids, the genus encompasses a multitude of exotic species which occur naturally across East Asia and the Pacific Islands. Phalaenopsis species and hybrids have long-lasting flowers, but fragrance is often limited to species within certain subgroups and closely associated hybrids. The species Phalaenopsis schilleriana, endemic to the Philippines produces fragrant pink flowers on a branching inflorescence that arises above exquisite silvery foliage, leopard-spotted or striped with purple. Phalaenopsis bellina, native to Borneo and Malaysia, has some of the most opulent flowers found anywhere. They emerge successively on a long-lived inflorescence that produces sublimely contrasting magenta and cream-white, waxy, fragrant flowers that endure for many weeks. While care requirements can vary across the genus, many Phalaenopsis are often best grown at intermediate to warm temperatures with low to intermediate levels of light.