Types of Orchids

Angraecum, the Comet Orchid, is a genus of monopodial orchids from Africa and Madagascar, with white flowers fragrant at night. The most famous species is Angraecum sesquipedale, the Christmas Orchid.

Anguloa, the Tulip Orchid, is well described by its common name! They have substantial, tulip-shaped flowers in shades of white, green, yellow, and red. They like a lot of humidity, intermediate-to-bright light, and cool-to-intermediate temperatures. They really like humidity and hate drying out during the growing season, but most need a dry rest after flowering.

Ascocentrum orchids are beautiful Vanda relatives. They are generally considered miniature orchids, as they look a lot like Vandas, except smaller and brightly colored, with quite dense, erect flower stems.

Barkeria orchids are very beautiful plants, most with purple flowers. They should be grown mounted, and are adapted to a long dry season in their native Mexico, during which the leafless plants resemble dead twigs.

The Bulbophyllum orchid genus is the largest in the Orchidaceae family, with over 1800 species, making it the third largest genus of plants. (Taxonomists will probably eventually split it into several smaller genera, but with so many types of orchids it's a massive undertaking!) They differ widely in appearance, but all have a single leaf emerging from the top of the pseudobulb, flower stems coming from the bottom of the pseudobulb, and a hinged lip designed to tip insects against the column. Many are pollinated by flies, and stink like dung or rotting carcasses, which is a great conversation starter and gives you bragging rights for putting up with it! (They don't all stink, fortunately.) The rhizomes wander all over the place and often branch freely, so it's easy to grow an impressive specimen.

Catasetum orchids, along with the other members of the Catasetum alliance, have big, thick pseudobulbs with an attractive fan of thin leaves along their length. The flowers can be very showy, but are unisexual, so that male and female flowers look different. Lighting affects which kind appears. They need a dry rest after flowering when the leaves drop.

The Coelogyne orchid genus gets a lot less attention than it deserves. The plants have beautiful, fragrant flowers, can tolerate drought and neglect, and rapidly develop into massive, impressive specimens. The best-known species come from the foothills of the Himalayas, where the elevation produces cool temperatures. The largest-flowered species in the genus, Coelogyne cristata, is one of these cool-growing types.

Coryanthes, the Bucket Orchid, is a Stanhopea relative that has even odder flowers. The lip is modified into a water-filled bucket; bugs fall in, can't fly out, and must crawl past the column to escape. They are fragrant orchids, and must be grown in a basket as the flower stem comes out the bottom of the pot.

Cycnoches orchids have unisexual flowers, meaning they have separate male and female flowers which look different (usually just one of the two types of orchid flowers each time it blooms). The flowers are usually make a very dramatic display. After flowering, the leaves drop off and it enters a dry rest; don't water until it starts to grow again or it will rot.

Cypripediums are temperate lady slipper orchids that you can grow in the garden if you live in a temperate climate! They are widespread, so most temperate climates have a species that can do well. You can also grow them in pots, if you want to use the refrigerator to simulate winter.

Dendrophylax lindenii, the Ghost Orchid, has truly spectacular flowers but is difficult to care for in cultivation. They do much better in their native habitats in Florida and Cuba, though habitat destruction has endangered the species. These plants lack leaves, and photosynthesize with their roots!

Disa is a genus of beautiful plants with rather triangular flowers, often red. They require VERY different care than other types of orchids, so it's easy to kill them if you don't know what you're doing. In particular, they like it wet and should never dry out. The best-known Disa is Disa uniflora, which in South Africa is known as the Pride of Table Mountain.

Dracula is a genus closely related to Masdevallia. Their flower stems tend to grow downward, and they have a larger lip that often looks like a mushroom to attract flies. Care is similar to Masdevallia and other cool-growing pleurothallids.

The Gongora orchid genus is a really neat type of orchids, related to Stanhopea. They have nice, strong fragrances, often of cinnamon, allspice, or nutmeg. The flower stems hang over the pot's edge and the flowers point downwards. They can adapt to a wide variety of lighting conditions and a relatively large temperature range, but like a lot of water.

The Lycaste orchid genus, similarly to its relative Anguloa, likes intermediate-to-bright light, intermediate-to-cool temperatures, and high humidity. The flowers look rather different, though; they are more-or-less triangular in shape because the sepals point outward while the petals point forward. These orchids are very fun to grow, and will thrive if you get their care right.

Lady Slipper Orchids is a catch-all term for a few types of orchids, typically referring to any plant in tribe Cypripedioideae, which includes the genera Cypripedium, Paphiopedilum, Phragmipedium, Mexipedium and Selenipedium. These types of orchids all have a "slipper", a pouch-shaped labellum in which their pollinating insects get stuck.

Masdevallia is one of my favorite types of orchids! They have triangular flowers (the petals are tiny, so you just see the three sepals.) They need cool temperatures to do well, and like a lot of humidity, but are otherwise quite easy to grow. (But they have a reputation as being hard to grow from people who've ignored their temperature and humidity requirements.)

Maxillaria, the Tiger Orchid, is a large genus with over 500 species. They rapidly grow into large specimens. Plants produce numerous, usually small flowers, in amongst the leaves, one to each inflorescence. They are fragrant orchids.

Mormodes orchids are unusual in that their flowers are twisted asymmetrically; the lip typically touches the back of the column! They are fragrant orchids. Care is similar to the related Catasetum orchids. The photo at left is of Cycnodes Wine Delight 'JEM' FCC/AOS, a highly-awarded intergeneric hybrid with Cycnoches.

Phragmipediums are slipper orchids that come from South and Central America, and tend to like it wet! They have very colorful flowers, particularly the red species such as Phragmipedium besseae, which may be my favorite orchid. A recent discovery, Phragmipedium kovachii, promises to revolutionize Phragmipedium breeding.

Pleione, the Peacock Orchid, is a temperate orchid hardy down to freezing, and often sold as a "bulb". If you don't live in a suitable climate, you can simulate its winter with the refrigerator. They're very pretty, so I suggest trying them out!

Pleurothallis orchids are a huge genus, with several hundred types of orchids, mostly native to cloud forests in the Andes. They like high humidity, cool temperatures, and hate to dry out. Most are tiny orchids, so you can have a large collection with many types of orchids in a small space!

Restrepias are close relatives of Pleurothallis, and like even more humidity! They can bloom year round with proper care, and the flowers, usually red or yellow, are very attractive. (They're also weird-looking enough to be interesting! The bulges on the ends of the dorsal sepal and lateral petals contribute to this.)

The Sobralia orchid genus grows ubiquitously in much of South and Central America; I've heard them called "ditchweed"! They have beautiful, short-lived flowers whose appearance is somewhat similar to a large Cattleya orchid. Flowers can be more than 6 inches (15cm) across in some species. The plants can get quite large, however, so you need to have enough space for them!

Stanhopeas are fragrant orchids pollinated by male bees that collect their fragrance to attract females. They have very complex, beautiful flowers... that grow out the bottom of the pot! So they are usually grown in a basket to allow the flower stem to escape.

Vandas are beautiful orchids that like lots of light and warm temperatures. They tend to have large, round flowers. Most other types of orchids in the Vanda alliance like similar care.

Yes, Vanilla is an orchid! Actually, it's a whole genus of orchids, but Vanilla planifolia is the one the vanilla bean comes from. (It's actually the plant's seed pod.) They are a very unusual type of orchids because they grow as a vine. Also, they are notoriously fragrant orchids.