About Moth Orchid Purple

History

The Moth Orchid is just one species of the 73,000 flowering plants making up the Orchid family. The Moth Orchids botanical name 'Phalaenopsis', means "king of the moth". Native to India, Taiwan, China, Southeast Asia, New Guinea and Australia the Moth Orchid has been a popular ornamental house plant since the Victorian era.

Cultivation

In the wild, Moth Orchids thrive in warm, humid tropical conditions and are epiphytic, meaning they grow on other trees. Orchids have become very popular as indoor plants due to their ease of propagation and ability to stay flowering even under artificial light with long lasting blooms.

Care

To thrive, Moth Orchids need bright indirect sunshine and humid conditions. The flowers usually last for around three months (sometimes longer) and can flower all year round. Once the flowers fade, prune just above joint beneath the spent blooms, and hopefully a new flowering shoot will develop! If your orchid looks healthy but is not flowering for several weeks, then you can try to force flowering by lowering the temperature by 5°C for a month. Water regularly during the growing season, but less often during winter, aiming to avoid the roots from drying out. Feed specialist orchid fertiliser

Did you know?

Phalaenopsis (moth) orchids are thought to be over 100 million years old, they can live for over 100 years and they are the worlds most popular flowering plant with over 90 million produced in Europe every year.

Toxicity

This plant is non-toxic so although not advised should pose no harm if accidentally chewed or eaten by your furry friends.

Also Known As

Orchid