Easy Orchid Plant – Phalaenopsis Amabilis

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Blooming, Care and Culture, Classification, Growing Indoors

I define “easy” orchids as those that can be grown indoors in mild climates in homes that have the heating on during the daytime in winter.

This is one of the species that has been used to create so many of the modern hybrids. Originating from the Philippine Islands where it was discovered in 1750, it has been a favorite for well over a century. Today’s plants are the result of cross-breeding different clones over many years to improve the strain. Their size and shape have become more rounded than in the original importations. The leaves of this species are light green, but otherwise indistinguishable from those of the hybrids. The flower has a simple purity that ensures it will always have a place in collections. In the wild, the plants grow upon trees, with their leaves and flower spikes – bearing six to eighteen flowers per spike in the summer – drooping downward and with the flowers held clear of the branches.

Flower Size: 3 1/2 inches (9cm) across

Flower Spike: 15 inches (38cm)

Plant Spread: 1 foot (30cm)

Pot Size: 5 inches (12cm)