Bletilla striata

Bletilla striata or Bletilla hyacintha is a member of the Orchid family. It grows naturally in China and Japan. It is therefore also known as the Chinese ground orchid or Japanese marsh orchid.

It is a perennial herbaceous terrestrial plant. It usually grows just below or at soil level. It produces underground rhizomes, so-called pseudobulbs, which are spherical in shape. The pseudobulbs are very similar to bulbs (as are most orchids). Long (20-30 cm) oval leaves emerge from them in spring. The leaves are also thin, pleated, lanceolate, ribbed, with pointed ends, green in colour. The leaves are gathered in groups of 4-8 along a central thick stem. They resemble a small palm tree. Therefore the plant looks great even when it is not flowering. This orchid looks a lot like a gladiolus. A flower stalk grows from the centre of the leaves to produce 6-10 fragrant flowers. They are very showy and embody sophistication! The flowers are 3 - 5 cm in diameter. Their shape is bell-shaped. Their colour is pink or pink-white. Flowers appear in April. The petals and sepals are arranged alternately around the centre of the flower. The lower petal in the middle, the labellum, is heavily modified, ruffled and resembling a lip. It is broad, toothed, slightly wavy, trefoil-shaped, brightly speckled in colour. The stamens and peduncles are interspersed with each other. Flowers are odourless or faintly scented. Flowering may last up to 3 weeks. This plant is widely used in phytotherapy.

Bletilla is suitable for beginner flower growers! This garden orchid can be grown outdoors and at home on a windowsill. It grows and develops well in the penumbra. When grown in the sun or in places where it is dry, the leaves of the Bletilla are thick and leathery (so they retain moisture). In the shade, the leaves are thin and long. The plant loses its leaves in autumn. It overwinters in the open ground only if it is well mulched. It is quite frost-resistant: it withstands -29-24 ° C. But it does not tolerate frosts. During the growing season in spring and summer, it is advisable to keep the plant at temperatures below 20 °C during the day. The temperature can be a few degrees lower at night. A humidity of 40-70% is recommended. Lives for 5-15 years or more.Flowering period: mid-spring to early summer.