Orchidaceae

Large, pure white flowers on long arching spikes lasting 2–3 months. The most widely sold orchid in the world. Modern hybrids are extremely vigorous and free-flowering relative to the wild species. The clear pot is important. It allows light to reach the roots and makes watering decisions straightforward.

Pink to deep magenta flower range, the second most widely sold Phalaenopsis colour group, ranging from pale blush to vivid cerise. The depth of pink coloration is genetically fixed. It will not change with care conditions.

Spots, stripes, and pattern combinations in red, orange, purple, and multi-colour, a category that has expanded dramatically in the last decade. The breeding innovation in novelty Phalaenopsis has been remarkable; the range now includes complex harlequin patterns, peloric forms (three lips instead of one), and colour combinations not seen in wild species. Care is identical to white and pink hybrids. Some novelty colours are less vigorous than standard hybrids. Choose plants with visible healthy roots over striking flowers.

Full-sized or near full-sized flowers on compact plants reaching 20–30cm. Well suited to smaller spaces and windowsill growing. Care is identical to standard hybrids. The compact size makes them one of the most practical orchids for home growing. A standard windowsill can accommodate several plants that a full-size hybrid would fill alone.

Species Phalaenopsis producing small, delicate pink-purple flowers in naturally branching sprays, more naturally branching than most hybrids. Compact plant. Parent of many miniature hybrids. More suited to species orchid collections than to general houseplant growing, but a rewarding plant for growers who have mastered standard hybrids and want to explore species.

Species Phalaenopsis with flat, star-shaped flowers and a strongly fragrant scent, unusual in a genus where most commonly grown hybrids are unscented. The fragrance is one of its primary appeals. Requires slightly warmer conditions than standard hybrids and a bright, warm position. More challenging than modern hybrids but distinctly rewarding for growers who want fragrance.

One of the parent species of the entire Cattleya alliance hybrid range. Large, vivid purple-pink flowers with a dramatically frilled lip, historically significant as one of the first Cattleya to reach Europe in the 1800s, sparking the Victorian orchid collecting craze. Requires more light than Phalaenopsis and a cool, dry rest period in autumn to initiate flower buds. The flowers are among the most spectacular of any commonly grown orchid and are fragrant.

An enormous range of intergeneric hybrids involving Cattleya and closely related genera (Laelia, Brassia, Rhyncholaelia, and others). The hybrid range spans compact miniatures to large exhibition plants in virtually every colour except true blue and black. Many are fragrant. More vigorous than the species in most cases. Care requirements are broadly consistent across the alliance. The diversity of flower form, size, and colour available in modern Cattleya alliance hybrids is one of the most impressive in orchid cultivation.

The most widely sold Dendrobium — upright canes with flowers produced along the upper portions in white, pink, purple, and bicolour. To flower, they require a warm, dry autumn rest period: reduce watering and allow temperature to drop to 10–13°C for 6–8 weeks. Without the rest period they produce keikis (plantlets) on the canes instead of flowers. Once the flower spikes appear, watering and temperature can be normalised. Bright light year-round is the other key requirement.

Requires a pronounced cool, dry winter rest, essentially no water and temperatures around 10°C for 2–3 months. The extended dry rest is the critical difference from the phalaenopsis-type Dendrobium and is the reason nobile is considered more demanding.

Small, compact, very cold-tolerant, and fragrant, and one of the most beginner-friendly Dendrobium and one of the hardiest orchids in general cultivation. Produces fragrant pink to white flowers in spring after a cool winter rest. The cold tolerance makes it easier to provide the winter rest period (it can simply be moved to a cool but frost-free windowsill or unheated room). Produces pseudobulbs that can be divided when the plant becomes congested. One of the best starting points for growers wanting to move beyond Phalaenopsis.

Species with long, branching spikes of small yellow and brown flowers — vigorous and free-flowering with adequate light. The flower spikes can reach considerable length and produce dozens of small flowers simultaneously. Grows from large, flattened pseudobulbs. More light-demanding than Phalaenopsis. A bright indirect position close to a window is required. One of the more generous bloomers in the genus for growers who can provide the light requirement.

One of the most widely grown fragrant Oncidium hybrids, known for a distinctive chocolate-vanilla fragrance. Dark red and white flowers on branching spikes. Compact. One of the most reliably fragrant indoor orchids. The scent is strongest in warm conditions and from late morning. Flowers repeatedly on a plant that is healthy and well-lit. The fragrance alone makes it one of the most desirable Oncidium for indoor growing.

Miniature Oncidium hybrid with tiny, fragrant flowers in white, pink, or red. Extremely compact, and one of the best-suited orchids for windowsill growing. Flowers prolifically and repeatedly with adequate light. The vanilla fragrance is one of the most pleasant of any commonly grown orchid. A plant that gives a great deal for the space it occupies and is more forgiving than larger Oncidium hybrids.

Plain green leaves, waxy green-brown and white flowers with a prominent pouch. Cool-growing. Requires a cooler winter rest (10–15°C) to trigger flowering. One of the most historically significant orchids in cultivation, widely grown in Victorian collections. Flowers last 6–8 weeks. More tolerant of lower light than Phalaenopsis. Uses a moisture-retentive terrestrial orchid mix rather than bark.

Mottled leaves, large green and white flowers with a distinctive pouch. Warm-growing. Does not require a cool winter rest, making it more tolerant of consistent indoor temperatures. One of the most elegantly patterned Paphiopedilum. The tessellated leaf pattern is attractive even when not in flower. More tolerant of average home conditions than cool-growing species.

Multi-flowered spike with large, dramatically striped flowers, one of the most sought-after Paphiopedilum. Historically wild-collected and still subject to CITES protection. Purchase only certified nursery-grown specimens.

Multi-flowering hybrid that produces additional flowers on the same spike sequentially. As one flower fades another opens, extending the flowering period significantly beyond the 6–8 weeks of single-flowered species. Warm-growing. One of the most reliable Paphiopedilum for continuous indoor flowering. A good choice for growers who want an orchid in flower for as long as possible from a single plant.

Species with green and brown-spotted petals and a vivid blue-purple lip, one of the more striking flower colour combinations of any commonly grown orchid. More demanding than Phalaenopsis but the blue lip colour is essentially unique among commonly grown orchids and justifies the additional effort for collectors.

Wider range of flower colours than the species, including deeper blues and bi-colours. More vigorous than the species in most cases. Care is identical to mackayi. The hybrid range offers the same blue lip quality as the species with improved vigour and sometimes larger flowers. All retain the distinctive fragrance.