Indoor orchid: where is the birthplace of the flower, plant varieties, the required soil composition, care features

Homeland of the phalaenopsis orchid

People who are interested in the homeland of the phalaenopsis orchid will be curious that wild plants can be found even in our country. Their number is about 130 species, 50 of them grow in the Crimea. The homeland of the orchid is a forest, fields, rocks, edges.

Where do orchids grow?

The homeland of orchids is not only the tropics, as many believe. They have been spotted all over the world except Antarctica. The plant is considered a tropical flower, because about 80% of different varieties live in tropical forests.

Homeland of the epiphytes

Epiphytes are plants that inhabit plants. They get everything they need from the environment, not from the plant to which they are attached. Thanks to photosynthesis, epiphytes receive energy and nutrients, and moisture is obtained from precipitation. The origin of flowering plants comes from the humid forests of Australia, Southeast Asia, the Philippines. Orchid epiphytes are considered to be native to the tropics of America, and regions in Asia. For them, a little useful soil from a rotten tree or plants is quite enough.

In particular, the orchid is a genus of indoor plants. At home, the plant behaves very moody.

Famous types of tropical flowers:

The substrate for the plant should be light, air and moisture permeable. Orchids love light, but it is worth hiding from the direct rays of the sun, because she is used to the twilight of the tropics. For better growth, the flowers are transplanted into small pots. The soil for them must allow air and moisture to pass through.

The homeland of the room orchid is the wild tropics of Malaysia and New Guinea. This flower is famous for its leaves, and not for its flowers. These velvety leaves begin to shimmer as they move.

Homeland of Phalaenopsis

Phalaenopsis is the most famous home flower. Houseplants and wild plants are different from each other. At home, we are already growing hybrids crossed by dozens of progenitors. Therefore, these tropical flowers have taken root with us. The homeland of such an orchid is South China, Indonesia and the Philippines. In those parts, they chose forests up to 500 m above sea level. This is why they love warmth.

Homeland of dendrobium

Dendrobiums also grow in Australia, New Guinea, the Philippines, the Pacific Island, Southeast Asia, but the homeland of the Dendrobium orchid is Malaysia. They inhabit forests up to 2000 m above sea level. For their soil, fern, sphagnum moss, pine bark are taken. Certain species need a temperature difference for flowering, as well as time for calm - these are the conditions of the wild.

Homeland of Wanda

Many people love this type of blue orchid. The homeland of the Wanda orchid is Southeast Asia, the Himalayas and Papua, New Guinea, Burma and Australia. It is difficult to grow them at home. Because they need at least 14 hours of light every day, rain, humidity from 70% and a temperature drop from 6 to 10 ° C. Those who love this flower need to make greenhouses, buy an air humidifier, phytolamps to provide the necessary conditions.

Homeland of Cattleya

Orchids are considered almost the most wonderful flowers on the entire planet. Cattleya is the queen of orchids. The care of this flower depends on the homeland of the orchid. Cattleya, inhabits South America, Caribbean islands. This is why it needs lighting. It is resistant to temperature conditions and also requires temperature drops for flowering, a dormant period. Cattleya is moisture-neutral and requires a rest period.

Herbaceous orchid

These flowers grow in the temperate climate of North and South America, Central Asia, and Europe. Several varieties are found in Australia. It is almost impossible to grow this flower at home, they do not take root.

Lyubka is two-leaved, another name is night violet, it also refers to orchids. Homeland - the Caucasus, grows in the European part of Russia and the Far East. In nature, Lyubka is found on forest edges, in clearings, less often in wet meadows. This plant has taken root in our gardens. She attracts with an alluring scent and strong flowering, and her flowers are small.

The lady's slipper was discovered several years ago. The native of the flower is considered the north of Europe, including England, the southern part of Russia, Scandinavia. Occurs in the mountains of the Caucasus and the Urals. This plant surprises not only with its appearance. It takes about 15 years from germination to the beginning of flowering. A slipper will not bloom on simple soils without moist soil.

Conclusion

Before you start any kind of orchid, you need to carefully study all its features and care for it, so that time is not wasted in case the plant does not take root in the room environment. There are approximately 30,000 varieties that require different care and conditions.

Does it need protection?

Despite the wide distribution and diversity of species, the orchid needs protection, since this amazing plant is ruthlessly exterminated in nature in the process of deforestation and improper harvesting of raw materials for medicinal purposes. The issue of protection was raised at the end of the 19th century. The first protected species was the lady's slipper (you can learn more about rare and unusual orchid varieties here).

35 species of orchids are included in the Red Book of Russia. Most countries preserve wild species of these plants in botanical gardens, nature reserves and national parks.

In 1973 in Washington DC signed the "Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)" According to this document, orchids are protected by international organizations. The only exceptions are artificially bred new plants.

The legal trade in orchids can only be carried out with a permit to export the plant from the country of origin, and it is also necessary to obtain a permit to import it into the importing country.

How and at what time did flowers appear in Europe?

The flower was first brought to Europe in the 18th century. Travelers more and more often discovered new countries and continents and brought exotic plants with them.

According to legend, an English botanist received a parcel from the Bahamas, where there was a shriveled, almost withered flower. He planted the plant in a pot, began to water. After a while, it released beautiful pink flowers. It was a tropical orchid.

The orchid took root in Europe for a long time. It was only in the 19th century that they learned to grow this flower in greenhouses. It was necessary to create suitable conditions for the plant, choosing the right temperature and providing a constant flow of fresh air. And it was not so easy to do. Moreover, science at that time knew little about all the methods of reproduction of orchids.

The fashion for this flower was introduced by Princess Augusta, mother of King George II. She founded botanical gardens in England. They contained many orchids, which were looked after by the gardener Joseph Bucks.

People paid huge amounts of money to get the orchid. Whole expeditions went to the jungle, which brought a large number of these flowers to Europe on ships.

Orchid species

The modern classification of orchids, developed by the American scientist Dressler, contains 5 subfamilies, each of which is subdivided into several genera and many species:

Apostasy (Latin Apostasioideae) is a primitive subfamily consisting of 2 genera: neuvidia (Latin Neuwiedia) and apostasy (Latin Apostasia) and 16 species of orchids, which are small herbaceous perennials. These orchids grow in Australia, New Guinea, Indochina and Japan.
Cypripedia (Latin Cypripedioideae) - represent 5 genera and 130 species of orchids, consisting of terrestrial, rocky and epiphytic perennial grasses.One of the well-known genera is the Lady's Slipper, 5 varieties of which are found in Russia. The range of the subfamily is distributed over the temperate, tropical and subtropical latitudes of all continents, except for Africa.
vanilla (Latin Vanilloideae) - the subfamily includes 15 genera containing 180 species of orchids. Herbaceous plants or vines are distinguished by a large number of flowers in the inflorescence. The fruits of representatives of the genus Vanilla (Latin Vanilla planifolia) contain vanillin, which is widely used as a spice, perfumery and pharmacology. These orchids grow in the tropics of the African continent, Central, South America and Asian countries.
Epidendrae (Latin Epidendroideae) - the largest subfamily of more than 500 genera, forming over 20 thousand species of orchids. They are epiphytic perennials, less often terrestrial grasses, extremely rarely vines. Dactylostalix (Latin Dactylostalix), listed in the Red Book of Russia, is considered a remarkable genus. And also the genus Cattleya (lat. Cattleya), distinguished by fragrant, large, exceptionally beautiful inflorescences. These orchids grow in the temperate, tropical and subtropical zones of all continents.
orchids (orchids) (Latin Orchidoideae) - the subfamily includes 208 genera and almost 4 thousand species of perennial land plants with an erect stem. The genus of orchids Anacamptis (Latin Anacamptis) with beautiful spike-shaped inflorescences of bright color is considered interesting. As well as representatives of the genus Palchatokorennik or Dactyloriza (Latin Dactylorhiza), the dried roots of which are used in case of poisoning and as a nutritional component in depletion. These orchids are found on all continents except Antarctica. The genus Phalaenopsis is also very common; it is representatives of this genus that are widely cultivated at home.

Variety and features

Orchid seeds are pollen-like, very small in size, easily blown away by the wind. As a result, these plants can be found everywhere, grow all over the globe, feed parts of the world where there is eternal ice. Part of Southeast Asia and the islands of the Malay Archipelago can boast of the greatest diversity.

Wild

The habitat of exotic beauties is different. Some species grow at an altitude of 1,000-2,500 m above sea level, in tropical forests, which are characterized by fog, high humidity, and dew. Others - on the plains, in the fields, forests. Still others - in rocky crevices, highlands, shroud. The shape and appearance depend on the area of residence.

Epiphytic, live on trees or other plants, using them as a support. However, they are not parasites. Due to the thickening on the stem, orchids maintain water balance and store nutrients.
Saprophytic (underground) ones look like an ordinary shoot that goes deep into the ground. There is a brush of flowers at the end of the shoot.
Terrestrial are typical representatives that have an erect shape, green leaves and exquisite flowers.

You can find out about what types and colors there are wild orchids, where and how they grow in nature, how they differ from domestic ones, and also see their photos here.

Home

Is it a houseplant or not? 15 years ago, a halo of mystery and inaccessibility hung over the orchid. And now, everyone can acquire such a wonder. Breeders have succeeded in breeding hybrid varieties. Therefore, growing and propagating flowers at home has become a reality. Popular varieties for window sills are: Phalaenopsis, Zigopetalum, Dendrobium noble, Wanda.

The biggest

In Indonesia, near Jakarta, in a botanical garden is the world's largest orchid. It is an epiphyte and grows on a ficus tree. The size is impressive: the length of the inflorescence reaches 3 meters in length, which in turn consists of 100 flowers. The total number of them is several thousand, and the size of each is 15 cm. Such a miracle weighs 2 tons.Flowering lasts several months.

A huge plant of the type of reed orchids, but for the color it received the name "Tiger". The giant loves a humid tropical climate, a lot of sun, frequent watering.

Fancy

Scientists from the Spanish University of Vigo talked about two unusually marvelous finds. In the Baracoa mountains, which are located in Cuba, near a rocky stream, a rare species of Tetramicra riparia orchid was discovered. It is a fragile plant with flowers less than 1 cm in size. The second type is even smaller in size. He was found in the western part of the island. This is Encyclia navarroi - a bright purple color, reminiscent of a daffodil in shape. The shoot is 7 cm long, 20 smallest inflorescences are placed on it.

Orchids are the owners of the most unusual and unique flower forms. For example varieties: "Flying Duck", "Spider", "Angel", "White Heron", "Dove", "Monkeys", "Butterflies", "Naked Man". They all really live up to their name.

You can find out about unusual varieties of orchids, as well as see their photos, here.

Description

Orchid (Orchids, as well as Orchids) is a plant of the flowering department, monocotyledonous class, of the order of asparagus, of the orchid family. Orchids are one of the richest species of plant families.

The orchid plant got its name in ancient Greece thanks to the philosopher Theophrastus, a student of Plato. As a result of scientific research, the scientist came across an unfamiliar flower with roots in the form of a paired bulb and gave it the name "orchis", which means "egg" in Greek.

Orchid flowers make up one of the most numerous plant families, the main part of which in nature is perennial grasses. Shrub form and woody lianas are less common. Orchids can range in size from a few centimeters, although individual species grow up to 35 meters in height.

Most of the orchids are epiphytes that grow on other plants, using them as a support and are not parasites. Epiphytic orchid flowers do not depend on the soil, receive more light and suffer less from herbivores.

The roots of the epiphyte orchid are extremely important organs as they perform many essential functions. First, with their help, orchids are attached to the substrate, which allows them to maintain an upright position. Second, the roots are actively involved in photosynthesis, sharing this function with the leaves. Thirdly, with the help of the root system, orchid flowers absorb moisture and nutrients from the air and bark of the plants on which they live.

Another, smaller part of orchids are lithophytes growing on rocky and stony rocks. Terrestrial orchids make up the medium-sized group. Both types are endowed with underground rhizomes or tubers.

The green stem of an orchid can be long or short, creeping or erect. Leaves are simple, alternate, on each plant there may be one or more of them. Orchid flowers of the most varied colors and sizes form 2 types of inflorescences: a simple ear with a single arrangement of flowers or a simple brush with several flowers on pedicels growing along the stem.

The orchid flower belongs to insect pollinated plants, and the mechanisms of pollination of each species are sometimes unusual and very diverse. Orchids-shoes, which have a "shoe-like" flower structure, are endowed with a special trap for pollinating insects.

Orchis have sticky legs, the flowers of this orchid mimic the smell of female bees, thereby attracting males. Flowers of tropical orchids intoxicate insects with an unusual aroma, other species shoot pollen towards the pollinator insect. The orchid fruit is a dry capsule containing up to 4 million microscopic seeds, which is a kind of productivity record among flowering plants.

The life span of orchids in natural conditions is individual, depends on many factors and under favorable conditions can be 100 years. In greenhouse conditions, many types of orchids live up to 70 years.

Homeland of different types of orchids

The temperate zone is characterized by poor diversity, 10% of all flowers of this variety live here, which is 75 genera and 900 species in the Northern Hemisphere and 40 genera, 500 species are inhabitants of the southern hemisphere. The territory of the former Soviet Union became the homeland of wild-growing orchids: lady's slipper, neotynesia, nesting, orchis, lyubka, pollen head, anakamptis and others.

Phalaenopsis

Phalaenopsis, which remains the most popular home flower today, looks somewhat different in nature, since what we have at home is hybrids obtained by mixing several dozen progenitors. This made it possible to adapt tropical plants to our conditions, because the original homeland of the phalaenopsis orchid was South China, Indonesia, North-East Australia, the Philippines. There they preferred low-lying forests up to 500 meters above sea level. That is why phalaenopsis are thermophilic, moisture-loving flowers, which do not require temperature drops for flowering, since the natural climate is stably warm.

Dendrobium

Dendrobiums still inhabit the following countries and places: the Philippines, Australia, New Guinea, Malaysia, Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands. Naturalists prefer to inhabit forests at an altitude of 2000 meters above sea level. Therefore, fern, pine bark, sphagnum moss are taken for their soil. Some varieties require a difference between night and day temperatures for flowering, as well as adherence to the dormant period, which is a hallmark of the natural wild conditions of the tropics.

Wanda

The adored by all blue orchid, whose homeland is the Himalayas, Burma, Australia, New Guinea, Papua, Southeast Asia, is difficult to keep at home. Wild conditions provide her with night and day temperature drops from 6 to 10 degrees, warm rain, high humidity from 70%, a long period of lighting (at least 14 hours daily), which is difficult to achieve at home. Therefore, lovers of Wands have to create some kind of greenhouses, purchase air humidifiers, special phytolamps to provide their favorite plant with the necessary conditions.

Cattleya

The peculiarities of Cattleya care depend on the homeland of the orchid, which has come a long way from natural species to hybrid ones, available to all Europeans today. Unlike other exotic species, Cattleya inhabits South America and the Caribbean. That is why it requires constant lighting, tolerates temperatures from moderate to warm, and also needs a temperature drop for flowering, a dormant period. Only by ensuring the absence of watering after the growing season, it is possible to achieve the development of covers in the axils with peduncles. Cattleya is more neutral to moisture than wanda, for example, but demanding on the dormant period. Surely you have noticed that the homeland of the orchid plant can be from the forests of America, Asia, Australia and even to our fields, rocky mountains. 30,000 species require different care.

Orchids -
herbaceous perennial plants, which are divided into two groups - terrestrial and epiphytic (growing on other plants). The humid tropics of South America are considered the homeland of epiphyte orchids, they also grow in the tropics of Southeast Asia. Terrestrial orchids are common in South and North America, Australia, and Europe.

Today, there are more than 30,000 species of orchids and new ones are being discovered. They grow all over the globe, excluding the Far North and deserts, regardless of the homeland of the orchid. With a huge variety of orchid species, they all have the same structure. They have simple petiole leaves, flowers have three outer and three inner petals.One of the petals is called a lip and differs from the others in shape, size and color. The lip can have the most bizarre shape and incredible color, because it is she who attracts insects for cross-pollination. Orchids have a long flowering period and can bloom for months. The fruit of an orchid is a pod with a huge amount of dusty seeds.

Description of indoor and wild plants

It is difficult to give a generalized description, because they are completely different and diametrically different from each other.

The stems of the plant are short and long, straight or creeping. Simple leaves are arranged alternately.

Flowers are painted in a wide variety of shades. They make up two types of inflorescences: an ear or a brush. The flower of most varieties has three sepals at the top and three lower petals. The upper sepals sometimes grow together to form a single organism.

The middle lower petal differs from the rest in its unusual shape, reminiscent of a shoe or a bag. It is called the "lip", and it is often in this petal that the nectary is located. The nectar of some orchid varieties intoxicates insects, which is why they cannot leave the plant and stay inside for a long time.

The pollen grains form hard balls called pollinia. Depending on the type, pollinias are softened, waxy, mealy or very hard. They stick to the insect thanks to the sticky substance. The pollen is collected in such a way as to get completely on the stigma.

Each ovary becomes the ancestor of hundreds of thousands of seeds. Orchid nectar, which attracts insects, has a wide variety of smells, ranging from the unpleasant smell of rotting meat to the scent of elite perfume.

Light and small orchid seeds, ripening in capsules, are quickly carried away by the wind, without even reaching the ground. They fly for a long time, settling on tree branches. Success overtakes those seeds that fall on myceliums - only they will give life to a new plant.

Lithophytes and the countries where they grow

Lithophytic orchids settle among stones and rocks. Their roots and way of life differ little from epiphytic ones. Lithophytic species are found in the wild in Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela. Sometimes flowers grow up to two thousand meters above sea level.

Lithophytes feel comfortable in a humid environment with a cool climate. They like the sudden drop in temperature. Lithophytic orchids are grown in winter gardens and special display cases, as they need high humidity.

Herbaceous and terrestrial

Herbaceous varieties are found in temperate climates in America, Europe and Asia. In indoor floriculture, these types are not common. Representatives of herbaceous orchids grow in clearings, wet meadows and forest edges.

Saprophytic

Saprophytic orchids are a vast group of plants. They consist of shoots with scales that do not have leaves. Saprophytic underground has no chlorophyll.

She gets food from humus. Coral-like roots absorb water with beneficial trace elements. Substances for the development of saprophytic orchids are obtained from a mycotic fungus.

Conditions of detention

Where the orchid is home to, the sun's rays are rare guests penetrating the lush greenery. Plants are forced to fight for lighting and climb as high as possible. In indoor conditions, flowers require diffused light.

In winter, it is recommended to place the flower pot on the south window, and with the onset of the spring-summer period, it should be moved eastward. Orchids need 11 hours of daylight.

It is known that the time of flowering takes away a lot of resources from the flora. If, due to some circumstances, the plant is weakened, the peduncle should be cut off from it. Residents of the tropics are accustomed to hot and humid microclimate, therefore, in addition to temperature, an appropriate level of humidity should be ensured.

Orchid plants do well next to the aquarium. An alternative to a fish tank can be a home fountain, dishes with water, or a humidifier. Spraying will not be superfluous. A warm, boiled, moderately hard liquid is suitable for these purposes.

All orchids require a special watering regime. In the summer season, moistening the soil is required as needed. This can be 2 times a week. In winter, watering is reduced up to 1 time in 7-10 days. The root system of the plant should not be wet. Between waterings, the soil should have time to dry out.

Together with watering, fertilizing is often carried out. Twice a month this procedure will be sufficient. As a top dressing, special fertilizers for orchids are chosen. When watering, avoid getting liquid on the inflorescences, growth point and leaf axils. If this happens, the moisture can be removed with a cotton swab.

The procedure for watering an orchid is as follows: it is generously watered around the circumference of the pot and the excess is allowed to drain. After that, drain the water from the pan and repeat the watering again.

Herbaceous orchid

The origin of the rainbow flower: where does the orchid come from and how to care for it

This indoor beauty was born in the tropics of South America (according to legend, an orchid appeared from a “fragment of a rainbow”). More than 90% of all known orchids were born in these rich vegetation and moisture-rich forests.

Of course, it still needs to be said about Southeast Asia - it was here that the familiar Phalaenopsis orchid appeared. In this article, we will tell you about the history of the origin of this beautiful flower and its care.

Origin: where does this flower come from and where does it grow?

Amazing plants have learned to adapt well to different climatic conditions, so orchids can be found in nature not only in the tropics. Naturally, it all depends on the type of orchid. Scientists have even analyzed their growth by climatic zones:

The first zone includes South America, Central America, Australia, Southeast Asia and also the coastal parts of Africa.

Learn more about an orchid in nature, how it grows and how it differs from a home one, in a separate article.

When and how was the plant first introduced to Europe?

In Europe, they met these amazing flowers around the middle of the 18th century - travelers discovered new continents and were amazed at the sight of exotic plants. There is a beautiful story about how a botanist in England received a parcel with a shriveled, almost completely dry specimen of an orchid from the Bahamas as a gift. He planted it in a pot and a miracle happened - after a while the plant came to life and thanked with gorgeous pink flowers, it was a tropical orchid. From that moment on, the craze for orchids began.

The history of the appearance of variety in varieties

Orchid varieties are so diverse (there are more than 35 thousand of them) that they simply lead among all other plants.Surprisingly, every year and now they continue to discover new species in the tropics.

It all began again in England - one English gardener, out of curiosity, began experimenting with the flowers of Cattleya guttata and Cattleya loddighesi, and as a result the seeds sprouted, from where the first man-made specimen of Cattleya Hybrid appeared (in the 19th century). Well, and then the baton was quickly picked up, the number of new hybrids increased sharply, but the results are amazing for all of us.

For more information on unusual varieties of orchids, descriptions and photos of flowers of a wide variety of shapes, check out this material.

Is there a security guard?

Despite the huge number of species, of course, such an amazing plant needs protection. It is exterminated in nature mercilessly - both when deforestation and when draining swamps, and some simply tear out this miracle of nature with roots for medicinal purposes (find out about whether the orchid is poisonous or not, what benefits or harm it brings to the human body, find out here). At the end of the 19th century, the question of the protection of orchids was first raised in Europe, the first protected species was the "lady's slipper".

In Russia, 35 species of this plant are listed in the Red Book. Scientists have calculated that, unfortunately, by 2050, about half of the current number of orchid species will remain in Europe. Most countries try to preserve wild orchid species in botanical gardens, nature reserves and national parks. Nowadays, all of them are protected by the laws of nature protection.

Care features

In our stores, mainly hybrid orchid species are sold, it is much easier to care for them at home. The most popular type is Phalaenopsis. Important points when leaving:

correct lighting - best diffused light for at least 12 hours;
temperature regime - for all indoor orchids, it will be optimal to provide 20 - 27 degrees of heat during the day, and 14 - 24 degrees at night;
air humidity - high humidity is required, it is very useful to put an aquarium or a pan with water and pebbles next to the plant;
watering - it will be necessary to water intensively only during the period of flowering and active growth, the rest of the time watering should be moderate.

Watch a video about caring for orchids:

Conclusion

Psychologists say that it is very useful to even just look at an orchid flower - it protects against depression, it is a symbol of spiritual rebirth, perfection and harmony. Be sure to have at least one copy at home - and life will become brighter. This amazingly grateful plant blooms for a long time both in summer and winter, pleases the eye, and does not require much care in its care.

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