SCIENTIFIC NAME: Bletilla striata

COMMON NAME: Bletilla or hardy orchid

FAMILY: Orchidaceae

TYPE: Perennial

LEAVES: Three to six pleated leaves with a paper like texture

FLOWER: Racemes of 6 to 10 flowers, 1 to 1 inches across, rosy purple

SEASON OF BLOOM: spring or early summer

GROWTH HABIT: open upright, a terrestial orchid which produces pseudobulbs; clumping

SOIL: well drained; drought can cause reduced flowering

SUN: full sun, but some afternoon shade is recommended

HARDINESS: zones 5-9

UTILIZATION: ideal for containers or naturalized areas

DISEASES: no serious disease problems

INSECTS AND RELATED PESTS: no serious pests

PROPAGATION: division

MAINTENANCE: divide clumps every few years to promote flowering

NOTES: Late frosts can give leaf ends a tattered appearance