Not your average flower: Learn how to care for orchids at the Houston Orchid Society’s Annual Show & Sale this weekend

Published by Guest Contributor on April 15, 2013 at 4:12 pm in Plants & Insects

Editor’s note: Today’s blog comes to us from John Stubbing of the Houston Orchid Society.

Many people receive gift orchids purchased at local grocery stores or at “big box” stores such as Home Depot or Lowe’s. Nearly all of the orchids sold in these stores are members of the genus Phalaenopsis, known as moth orchids because of the shape of their flowers.

These very popular orchids can be recognized by their single stem and wide, flat leaves. The flowers, usually quite large, are borne along a long spike and are typically colored white, pink, lavender or yellow. Some come in solid hues, while others sport an array of spots, stripes, and other markings in a range of colors.

Phalaenopsis orchids make great house plants, and are good companion plants for African violets, as both have similar requirements in terms of light, temperature, humidity and amount and frequency of watering. A word of caution: Do not put Phalaenopsis orchids in direct sunlight or in temperatures below 50 degrees.

Moth orchid flowers last for several weeks, and plants will live for many years with proper care. A plant will typically bloom at more or less the same time every year, and can be displayed anywhere in or out of the house for your enjoyment while in flower. As the flowers begin to die, the plant should be moved back to a situation that encourages growth of the vegetative portion.

Moth orchids are best grown in low light, either in partial shade outdoors, or indoors in a bright window or under artificial lighting. If Phalaenopsis are grown under artificial light, you have to be careful to watch for the development of new flower stems, and be sure to move the plant away from the lights before the stem touches the bulbs. As with African violets, fluorescent lighting is preferred over incandescent because of the heat from the latter.

The lighting arrangement I used for many years was four 4-foot-long fluorescent tubes over a 2-foot-wide shelf holding the plants. Today, with the availability of many different lighting types, you can be more creative with artificial lights. Or, you may have a bright east-facing window to provide all-natural lighting. It is often easiest to move plants for watering, then return them to the window or light stand.

An important note: Because the flower stem points towards the light as it grows, be sure not to change the plant’s orientation when returning it to the growing area or the stem will be crooked.

Moth orchids will thrive in temperatures from 60 degrees to 95 degrees. Outdoors with summer breezes or indoors with fans, they can withstand up to 100 degrees if the light isn’t too bright. If grown outdoors, they should be brought inside when night temperatures dip below 50 degrees. However, keeping them outdoors for a few weeks in the fall, when night temperatures are in the mid to upper 50s or near 60, will help initiate new flower stems. Once the flower stem has started to develop, the plant(s) can be brought indoors and the stem will continue to grow. This is safer than leaving them outdoors with the potential of damage to the plant from cold weather. Even Houston’s relatively mild winters are too cold for these tropical plants.

Conditions outdoors in Houston usually provide plenty of humidity for these plants. Phalaenopsis plants prefer a minimum of 50 percent humidity, and their flowers will last longer with even higher humidity levels. If we get a dry spell in the summer, you can help the plants by watering more often. Indoors, humidity levels rarely get above 50 percent, and both heating and air conditioning units remove humidity from the air. So if and when orchids are grown inside, you will need to increase the humidity in the orchids’ vicinity.

A pebble tray is an easy and inexpensive way to enhance humidity levels. Fill a shallow tray with pebbles or rocks. Add water to about half way and set the orchid pots on top of the pebbles. The water level should be below the pots (you aren’t using this arrangement to water the orchids). Water evaporating from the pebbles’ surface adds to the humidity surrounding the plants. You may need to add more water daily if your house is especially warm or dry. To control algal growth on the rocks and in the water, you may also want occasionally to add a bit of bleach.

The watering technique for Phalaenopsis (and most other orchids) is a little different than for most house plants. Why? Because in their natural habitat, these orchids don’t grow with their roots in the ground. They are “epiphytes” or “air plants,” and grow on tree trunks and tree limbs throughout much of tropical southeast Asia. Because of their growth habit, orchids need more air circulating around their roots than other house plants and will not survive if their roots are always wet.

Phalaenopsis are often grown and sold in tightly packed sphagnum moss. Sphagnum retains water a long time so it doesn’t dry out as fast as many other potting media. If your orchid is growing in sphagnum, a thorough watering every other week is frequent enough.

Another popular growing medium for Phalaenopsis and other orchids is fir bark or fir bark mixes. This medium dries out much faster than sphagnum, so orchids in bark or bark mixes should be given a thorough watering about once a week.

In either case, you should water until water comes out the drainage holes in the pot. Let the excess water drain out before putting the plant back in its growing area. If plants are outdoors, the watering schedule should be adjusted depending on the weather. Last year was so dry that plants needed to be watered twice a week. A few years back it rained every day in July; under such conditions, Phalaenopsis plants growing outdoors should be protected from the rain. Otherwise, their roots will become water logged and will rot, eventually killing the plant.

Phalaenopsis orchids need fertilizer to grow and bloom successfully. Since the plants never stop growing, they need to receive at least some food (fertilizer) year-round. A weekly application of a dilute fertilizer solution works well. Almost any fertilizer sold for orchids will work just fine if used at quarter strength in the fall and winter, and half strength the rest of the year, each time you water. However, once a month, skip the fertilizer and use water only.

You can learn additional care tips for Phalaenopsis and other orchids at the Houston Orchid Society meetings held monthly at the Houston Garden Center.

Many of the lovely moth orchids, along with many other orchid varieties, will be on exhibit and for sale at the Houston Orchid Society Annual Show and Sale, held this year on April 20 and 21 in the Grand Hall of the Museum of Natural Science. Don’t miss this spectacular show!

Flower power: Explore the fragrant orchid at the Orchid Show & Sale on April 20-21

Published by Guest Contributor on April 10, 2013 at 5:06 pm in Plants & Insects

Editor’s note: Today’s blog comes to us from John Stubbing of the Houston Orchid Society.

Have you ever thought of growing your own orchid corsage? There are plenty of reasons to take up growing these exotic and beautiful plants as a hobby. Not only do many species have large and colorful flowers, but many orchids are also fragrant!

For example, many of the large-flowered Cattleya types (the ones typically used in corsages) have wonderful, sweet fragrances that can fill a house — so romantic. Unfortunately, the blooms lose their fragrance when cut, so the recipient of a corsage doesn’t experience the full joy of these flowers.

Some 80 years ago, in the middle half of the 20th century, these corsage flowers were cut mostly from species orchids. Collectors harvested entire orchid plants from the wild in the rainforests of Central and South America, where Cattleyas are native, and shipped them to the United States and Europe.

Cattleya percivaliana normally blooms in December or January, so is called the Christmas Orchid

There, commercial growers would cultivate the plants until they flowered. Once the flowers were cut and sent to the florist, the plants would be discarded.

Starting in the 1930s, growers began to experiment with “man-made” hybrid orchids to use in the cut flower trade. Not only were they able to create unusual flower shapes and colors, growers also learned to regulate the flowering time of both species and hybrids to match florists’ needs.

For example, a large crop of flowers in perfect condition for sale a week after Mother’s Day or Easter would be a disaster for the grower. Manipulating the orchids’ bloom time gave growers the ability to provide cut flowers to the florist trade for all the major holidays throughout the year.

Cattleya lawrenceana blooms in spring

Cattleya intermedia alba blooms March through May

For over nearly two centuries, growers have hybridized Cattleya species with other orchid genera to increase the number of flowers and widen the color range. Now we have Cattleya-type flowers ranging from blue to yellow to green to red, in addition to the traditional whites, pinks and lavenders. Many of these complex hybrids bloom several times per year, whereas most of the original large flowered corsage types bloom only once a year.

Many Cattleya orchids, whether species or hybrids, can be grown outdoors in medium-bright sun in Houston, when temperatures are above 40 degrees. At lower temperatures, they need to be moved inside. They also can be grown indoors year-round in bright windows or under bright lights. Depending on the species make-up, the large-flowered Cattleya types will usually bloom the same month each year. The plants can be moved into the house to enjoy the flowers and then returned outside for better growth.

You can obtain additional care instructions at the Houston Orchid Society meetings held monthly at the Houston Garden Center. Also, written care sheets are available on the American Orchid Society page here.

Several of the Cattleya varieties pictured above, along with many other types of orchid, will be on exhibit and available for purchase at the Houston Orchid Society’s Annual Show and Sale. This lavish event will take place April 20 and 21 in the Grand Hall at the Museum of Natural Science. Admission is free (except for the orchids you take home with you!)

Cattleya Nancy Off ‘Linwood’ AM/AOS, with 6-inch flowers, usually blooms in the spring.

Iguana invasion: Ship stowaway leads to international plea deal for Colombian infiltrator

Published by Caroline on April 9, 2013 at 3:53 pm in Plants & Insects

When most folks want to see the Museum for free, they come on our free day (Thursdays from 2 to 5 p.m)

But one of our latest visitors did it differently: He stowed away on a cargo vessel amongst a shipment of tools — all the way from Colombia!

Chico — the ingenious little iguana — was discovered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services and spared prosecution in favor of coming to live with us here at HMNS.

At just 20.5 inches and estimated to be a year old, Chico is the youngest little lizard we’ve adopted. Our other iguana, Charro (who you probably recognize from the Cockrell Butterfly Center and his many Instagram fans), came to live with us when he was around 7 years and old and just about as large as he is now.

Charro is 14 years old and has a broken tail, whereas Chico’s in-tact tail is so long that there is actually more tail than lizard!

Chico is too young to yet determine whether he is, in fact, a chico or a chica, so we hedged our bets and gave him (her?) some name flexibility. For now, Chico will be hanging out behind-the-scenes with Butterfly Center staff as he grows big and strong enough to go on display. As we’ve learned from Iguanas for Dummies (for real), it’s important to give young iguanas lots of “hands-on” experience so they will be people-friendly when they are larger.

We’d love to see Chico become a reincarnation of Sidney, one of our former pet iguanas, who may well have been part-dog. He so loved to be petted that he would occasionally climb into people’s laps!

Iguana know more? Be sure to check back on the Beyond Bones blog periodically as we update you on Chico’s progress!

Get your garden going with our Semi-Annual Plant Sale this Saturday!

Published by Soni on April 1, 2013 at 1:30 pm in Plants & Insects

Do you wish you had a butterfly garden? Would you like to attract more of those beautiful creatures to your pre-existing garden? If so, don’t miss our Spring Plant Sale, Saturday, April 6th from 9 a.m. to noon! It takes place on the seventh level of the HMNS parking garage, where we will have a plethora of butterfly plants to choose from.

Of the dozens available, I chose 10 of my favorites for spring:

1. Zexmenia hispida or Hairy Wedelia. This perennial bush grows up to 2 feet tall. Native to the Texas Hill Country, it likes full sun and is drought-tolerant. The 1-inch wide yellow flowers cover this bush from spring through fall. It is a great nectar plant! Because it dies back in the winter, it needs a good haircut in the spring. We have this plant growing in our Demonstration Garden outside the Cockrell Butterfly Center. Stop by and check it out!

2. Gaillardia pulchella or Mexican Blanket. If you like native plants, this is a must have! You will have flowers on this plant from spring to fall. The blooms resemble targets that literally direct the butterflies to the nectar within! These plants typically grow in a mounding clump, with the flowering stalks reaching up to 2 feet tall. They like full sun and have average to low water needs once established. Save the seed heads and re-plant in spring!

3. Red Porter Weed (Stachytarpheta sp.). This tropical plant attracts butterflies and hummingbirds with its red spiked blooms. It’s a tender perennial, but it usually comes back from the base of the plant in spring if it is well-mulched in cold weather. It likes full sun and average watering, and grows up to 3 feet tall. We use these plants in the Butterfly Center year-round to keep our butterflies fed and happy!

4. Lantana montevidensis or Purple Trailing Lantana. This spreading perennial grows up to 2 or 3 feet wide, and blooms nearly year-round! It likes full sun but can tolerate a little bit of shade, especially in the afternoon, and has average to low water needs. The specimen in our Demonstration Garden has started to outgrow its space after a few years, so cutting it back once a year is recommended.

5. Stokesia laevis or Purple Stokes Aster. The flowers on this plant are striking! Up to 3 inches wide, they are a beautiful purple color with white centers. This herbaceous perennial only grows to about a foot high and is drought-tolerant. It blooms from spring through summer and is also a great plant for bees (we need to feed them too)!

6. Tithonia rotundifolia or Mexican Sunflower. This hard-to-find annual likes full sun and has average water needs. The plant tends to fall over and grow up from the stalk into a medium-sized bush — about 3 by 3 feet. You can save the seeds as the flower heads turn completely brown and dry up. Its one of the best nectar plants for butterflies!

7. Asclepias physocarpa or Family Jewels Milkweed. This plant has a funny name but is a seriously good host plant for Monarch and Queen caterpillars. Similar to Asclepias curassavicaI, or Tropical Milkweed, this species grows taller — about 4 feet — and has pinkish-white flowers. It likes some light shade in the afternoon and has average water needs once established. The seed pods that develop give rise to their common name, “Family Jewels.” Grow one to see what I mean!

8. Cassia alata or Candlestick Cassia. A fast growing, tender perennial tree, this is a host plant for Sulfur butterflies — those bright yellow ones! This plant grows up to 8 feet in one year, so you will need some space for it unless you cut it back occasionally. It likes full sun and average watering. Blooming late spring through fall, the large yellow flower spikes top off the tree. The well-camouflaged Sulphur caterpillars can be found on the newer growth or the flowers. The caterpillars eating the leaves are usually green striped, but those that eat the flowers tend to be more yellow. It’s always a treat to find them!

9. Foeniculum vulgare or Bronze Fennel. We usually think of fennel’s culinary use, but it is also a butterfly host plant. Have you ever noticed those green, black and white striped caterpillars in your herb garden? They are the larvae of the gorgeous Black Swallowtail butterfly! They like to munch on almost anything in the Apiaceae or Celery family, including fennel, parsley, dill, even carrot leaves. They will also eat another herb, rue, which is related to citrus. Bronze fennel is my favorite host plant for the Black Swallowtail. The plant forms a purplish feathery cloud, which looks striking in the landscape. Bronze fennel can grow to be a 2 to 3-foot mounding shrub and can even last as a perennial. In full sun, it grows more compact and gives off a licorice smell. It has average to low water needs once established. An unusual and versatile plant!

10. Passiflora foetida or Love-In-A-Mist Passion Flower. Passion vines are host plants for our native longwing — the Gulf Fritillary. However, some passion vines are not as favored by the caterpillars as others. The best ones for the Gulf Fritillary larvae are Incense (a hybrid), blue passion flower (Passiflora caerulea), native passion vine (P. incarnata) and P. foetida. Of these, foetida is my favorite. Its fuzzy leaves give off a “skunky” odor — hence the species name “foetida,” meaning “fetid.” The common name, Love-In-A-Mist, comes from the way the lacy sepals (Google it) cover the bright red fruits, like love in a misty shroud. The delicate pink blooms occur in clusters — which is somewhat unusual for passion flowers — and smell a little bit like bubblegum. In my experience, this vine does not grow out of control like some others, but occasionally sprigs will pop up in random places in the garden. Just pull them up when they grow in undesired locations. This plant likes a little bit of shade and average watering.

Well, that’s the line-up! I encourage anyone who has a hankering for butterflies to visit our plant sale, even if it’s just for advice. There will be many experts available to help with questions, so feel free to ask. Come early though, as the plants don’t last for long, and bring a wagon!