National Orchid Society

Terrestrial Orchid

The terrestrial orchids are also found in the temperate zones of both hemispheres. Among them are the tall Sobralia, graceful Cypripediums, Spiranthes, and fairy-flowered Habenaria. Calypso bulbosa (or borealis) is a native of the cold reaches of the Arctic. North America abounds in native orchids, many of which are very common and not generally recognized as orchids. Most showy of these, the Cypripedium or well-known 'lady's slipper,' has a wide range of habitat in the United States and has attractive foliage as well as flowers. However, few of the terrestrial orchids transplant well from their marshy homes, and it is perhaps best to seek them out and enjoy them in their native habitat.

By far the largest, most varied, and most showy of are included in the semi-terrestrial and epiphytic groups. These are tropical or subtropical and live on trees in the rain swept coastal jungles or on bare rocks in the hot sun. Their elevation ranges from sea level to two thousand feet above sea level. They abound through parts of Asia, the islands of the South Pacific, Australia, New Zealand, Africa, and South and Central America. The Himalayas and the Andes are also congenial to lovely orchids.

The epiphytic orchids are widely and wrongly considered to be parasites because they grow on other plants, notably trees. The plant 'home' is actually used only for support. In addition to the roots that cling to trees, these orchids also have aerial (epiphytic) roots that are sent forth to secure nourishment from the soluble mineral salts in the moisture-laden air and from the humus washed down into the crotches of trees and cracks of rocks. The supply of such nourishment is plentiful in some seasons and scant in others, a fact that no doubt accounts for the five to seven years required for the slow growth from seed to bloom.