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clary__gw

Anyone on Nun's orchid?

Clary_
20 years ago

Does anyone know anything about the Nun's orchid?, water and feeding requirements?

Anyone have a picture of the flower stalk?

All I know is that it requires shade.

TIA,

Clary, : )

Comments (16)

  • lindamarie
    20 years ago

    I have one in a 3 gal pot. I kept it inside for the Winter and divided and repotted it after flowering. What else do you need to know?

    I do have a pic, but have not figured out how to post them.

  • miniandtango
    19 years ago

    i have had several nun's orchids for three years. they bloom, but the foliage looks ratty. they sure are not as pretty as the ones in the nursery. they live in a shade house in the summer and in the greenhouse in the winter. any suggestions.

  • lagardenergirl
    19 years ago

    Just logging on to say I have one too, but it's new and was a gift from a florist. Needless to say it was gorgeous, three big 36-40" spikes. The question is can I make it rebloom. I did find out it is also called swamp orchid and likes to be damp. I plan to keep mine in the shade in the yard as long as possible. Good luck

  • hoppes_girl
    19 years ago

    I have one also,It was beautiful when I first bought it.I planted it in the yard and this year would have been its first bloom in 3 years but my fiance'accidentally chopped it down...guess everyone doesn't know the difference between weeds and flowers,broken hearted and moving it to a new location this year...it's just resprouting now with all the rain we have been having lately.Now to look for the perfect spot.I wish myself good luck!

  • danbo
    19 years ago

    I got one a few years ago. It didn't do much for 2 years. But I put it in a corner and brought it in every fall and back out in winter. This spring I was awarded with 2 beautiful flower spikes. It must have been blooming for month. And I believe prettier than pictures I've seen.

    I have heard after the first flowering it sends up flower spikes off and on during the sumer. But I can't say that from experience. (Not yet any way.)

    Other than that I can't say much about it. It scientific aname is Phaius tankervilliae. You may want to look that up on the net.

  • AngelScent
    19 years ago

    Nun orchid is DEFINITELY cold sensitive. I think mine turned black around high 40's F. They are now coming back after some nursing. They seem to like partial shade. I have them in pots. They like good drainage (they came in a mix of fine bark). They like to have potting media damp. Bloom only once per year. Mine bloomed in Gulfport a couple months ago. Will generally send up two flower stalks per eye. Small two gallon plants had blooms around 18-24 inches tall. Large plants in 10 gal pots had 36-48 inch tall flowers. Leaves get ratty from wind abrasion.

  • Nicole_Kyker
    19 years ago

    here is a link for a pic.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Nun's cap

  • Jessiep
    19 years ago

    I have one that bloomed last year.I read that if you plant the flower stalk that it will make new plants.I tried it and I got 2 new plants.I cut it and laid it in a small trench and covered it up.Mine are growing outside and of course we had no freeze lst year.If it is gona freeze I will cover it.I have it growing in the shade. Jessie

  • prallen2_peoplepc_com
    15 years ago

    Nun's orchids are beautiful in warm climate landscapes. They require lots of water and fertilizer and planted in a shady area. The Phaius Tankervilliae orchids bloom over a long period of time, with multiple stalks on mature plants.
    There are also Nun's Orchid hybrids with requirements same as the Tankervilliae.

  • timestocome
    15 years ago

    I put some in this spring, in Houston.

    They bloomed at first, nothing since. I'm hoping they'll do better next year.

    They seem pretty tolerant of dry conditions, and didn't mind Ike which is more than I can say of most of the plants.

  • emmachas_gw Shaffer
    14 years ago

    Received my nun's orchid with bare roots. After some research, I planted it in long fibered sphagnum moss, placed pot in the shade, and kept damp. Now, 10 weeks later, it doesn't look very healthy. The leaves are blotchy with brown tips.
    This thread mentions planting outdoors in Z8 or 9. Is that in regular garden soil? Does the foliage die back in the winter? I would hate to lose mine, but it's obviously not happy as is.
    I would appreciate any suggestions.

  • grandy3
    11 years ago

    I bought a Nun Orchid about several yrs ago in a small pot, after 1 year it filled the pot so I divided it and placed in 2 ceramic pots. It stays outdoors all year in a semi shady spot with other orchids and has almost filled these pots. It has bloomed every year with beautiful flowers. The leaves will turn brown and I just cut the off, it hasn't killed the plant yet. If it weren't raining today I would take a picture as it is about to bloom, so will send picture later. I don't water very often especially in winter then in summer it gets the rain which is the best water. I live by the Gulf coast in Florida, mid state so it rarely gets real cold and I only cover when it gets 30 or below, not often tho'. I fertilize once maybe twice a year, if I remember, with 20-20-20. My orchids do better if I don't over "pamper" them as all the information on the web says to do.

  • Carol love_the_yard (Zone 9A Jacksonville, FL)
    10 years ago

    Has anyone started to root their Nun's orchid stem cuttings? Having any luck? Which method are you using?

  • Carol love_the_yard (Zone 9A Jacksonville, FL)
    10 years ago

    I'm thrilled! One of my stem pieces rooted! Woo-hoo!

    I cut the flower stalks from the mother plant on May 10. I cut them into pieces with two nodes per piece. I laid them horizontally in trenches about 1-2" deep in moist, well-composted soil. The area is in deep shade in a protected bed between a live oak tree and the house. There is a lot of oak leaf mulch in the bed. Every week or so, I would water down the area but not on any particular schedule. Today, I looked over and saw something green sticking up. On closer inspection, I realized it was a new Nun's Orchid (Phaius tankervilliae) leaf! It is about one inch tall, coming straight up out of the ground. So far, that is the only one I have. I am hoping for more and will post back if I do get more.

    One of the nice things about this location is that the plants do not need to be moved. They are protected from freeze and frost right where they are, so I do not intend to transplant them.

    So it took a little over two months for them to root: May 10 - July 16.

    I called one of my gardening friends here in Jacksonville - a friend who generously gave me the mother plant. She just discovered that two of hers have rooted, too. She started hers a week after me. She stuck some of her stem pieces vertically into the ground under an oak tree and two of those have small new leaves. She has others in trenches that have not rooted yet.

    Anyone else have any luck?

    Carol in Jacksonville

  • Carol love_the_yard (Zone 9A Jacksonville, FL)
    10 years ago

    Update:

    Here is a link that might be useful: Nun's Orchid

  • Carol love_the_yard (Zone 9A Jacksonville, FL)
    9 years ago

    Amazing blooms this year! Getting ready to root the stems in another week or so.

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