Peacock Orchids

I have planted peacock orchids. They have come up wonderfully and even have gotten quite a few blooms. I have two questions. First, none of my flowers had any scent. I was really looking forward to smelling them and nothing. I even had some one else smell them because my nose is not always the best. Anyone else ever have that happen or have any idea what might cause it? Second, the foliage is starting to looking messy. Some of it is browning, etc. I know with true bulbs you are supposed to leave the foliage until it completely browns for charge the bulbs for next year. Since these are considered corms, do they require the same treatment? If I need to leave the foliage, it is probably 4 feet tall, can I cut it to half size or do I need to leave it all? Okay, so that was more than two questions.

Thanks.

sheila, We missed you last tuesday. There's been a couple other threads on peacock orchids aka acidanthera. I contributed by "complaining" that mine grew well but put no flowers. After much discussion, I suspect my problem may be not enough water. In any case, this week before we started getting all the rain (yipee!) I had one solitary bloom. And it was out of this world. I even called DH to come and smell. I don't know that I can describe it, but it is divine. Now I put my nose to the flower. It isn't like roses or butterfly ginger or gardenias where you walk by and can't miss it.

I'm making a mental note to go ck them out to see if rain has promoted blooming. will let you know.

I put my nose in the flower. NADA. It is bizarre. I know they are the right plant, guess I just got the unscented version...LOL. After they are done blooming do you cut the foliage back?

l cut it to the ground but did wait until most leaves were brown. I think that was around nov. will do the same this year.

Sheila,
I SMELL!!!

My Peacock Orchids are blooming now. One is open. I smelled it and it has a slight pretty smell. Can't desribe it yet. Maybe when more blooms open, I will be able to.
Just thought I would let you know. They are a white color.

Thanks,
Carol

Carol, how long have you had those? My has put out 2 puny blooms this year but the scent is quite fragrant. Unfortunately not pix worthy to show off in this thread. I'm hoping its performance is less than stellar because bulbs are young.

Mine were planted early spring 2004.

Carol,
I can't believe you got smell. Now that is truly strange. How tall did yours get? I got lots of flowers, just no fragrance. Those are the ones that I sent you, right?

Yes, Sheila, these are the ones you sent me.
They are probably 2-2 1/2' tall or more. Need to actually measure for sure.
I had some glads. around them and they are in the middle of them.
Hey, must be the good Oregon soil here! hehe. Tho the soil I put there is a mix of chicken manure, fir bark, and sandy loam along with mulch of mint compost. Down below is the horrible clay tho.

Vossner, I got these from Sheila this spring/early summer. Planted them right away. Need to look to see when I actually planted them tho. I will take a picture of them tonight I hope. They are kind of crowded together with the glads and etc.
I do have them on the drip system and they do get watered. Not tons of water but enough I think.

So will post a picture tonight for all.
Carol

and my eyes will be squinty w/ envy LOL

Ok, guys, here is one picture.
I smelled it last nite since it has opened up more and it smells wonderful. Can't describe it as Vossner says, but it is so different and nice.
Guess I will have to send some "real" peacock orchids back to you, Sheila, lol!!!
So far, this is the only one that is blooming. I got 10 from you, sent one away with a trade, so shall see if more will come.
Keep drooling, Vossner, hehe!
Carol

This picture is showing how it is situated in with the glads and other flowers. Kind of crowded but... I like it.
Enjoy my pics.
Carol

Have to say I'm jealous! I had peacock orchids 2 years ago, dug the bulbs, along with many other bulbs when I moved, I'm sorry to say I lost track of where the bulbs got packed. I'm sure they are all dried to dust by now.

Well, Darius,
If I get many to dig up in the fall, I will send you one or some. Will think about you then.
I know, I am good, huh, on growing them?
But I love the glads and now these peacock orchids are my first, so I really am enjoying that one blooming. But I need to maybe put in a better home this fall. Tho, I just planted them this spring so they did good coming up now.
Carol

Thanks, Carol. But I will be moving, so I'll take a raincheck!

I planted them for the first time this year and they're starting to bloom...and smell lovely...

Hey, Shelia,
I hate to brag, but...
I now have 3 of yours blooming and smelling so gooooooooddddddd!!!!!!
Geez, thanks so much.
You must have given away all the good ones, lol!
Carol

Carol, do we have to dig them here in western Oregon? I thought they were hardy to zone 8 or will the non-stop rain rot them?

Emily,
You know, I really don't know. I just got these from shuggins this spring.
I am assuming that they are just like glads. I have dug them and I have left them in the ground.
I am not going to dig them up. They are in a nice spot so... I may dig them the following year to maybe trade or share with others tho.
I leave my dahlias in the ground. I really don't like digging up bulbs or tubers.
P.S. Need to met yea sometime since you are so close.
Carol

Do you grow cannas too? If so, do you dig those or leave them in the ground?
Yes, we definitely should meet some time. I'm only about 20 mins from Vancouver.

Nope, I do not care for cannas. They belong in a pond area and I don't have that. So sorry, don't know anything about them.
I am in Portland sometimes tho usually for doing something like picking up my son at the airport. He is coming home this weekend and staying until the 8th of Aug. Maybe on the 8th, I can stop by. Let me know.
Carol

Can anyone tell me who sells these Peacock Orchids by mail order?
TIA
Elizabeth

I believe I've seen them in the Parks catalog. But any bulb mail order is likely to sell them. However, I think they cost a lot more than Walmart (who also sells them) and thru trading. I think I bought most of mine at walmart in the late winter and got the rest thru trades.

I've seen them sold in all sorts of nursery centers, usually in spring, when stores start selling glads. I have a bunch of them, but I can't pull them apart until fall, after they've bloomed. They're in a pot on my parents' deck, waiting to be relocated to my house, but I haven't gotten around to it yet!

Lori

I have a bunch of leaves, but no sign of flowers. I wonder if I need to feed them more. They were grown in front of delphiniums and next to cannas, which are heavy feeders. My glads bloomed though and my liatris and orientals are looking great so not sure why these guys aren't doing anything yet. I didn't plant them until late April, I think.

Be patient a while longer......another 2-3 weeks....it is about 100 days.

I for one am running out of patience. I'm going to have to go outside and talk ugly, very ugly to these plants...

My neighbor planted her peacock orchid even later than the ones I received from Sheila and hers just started to bloom yesterday. She fed them nothing.
So they may still come.

Oh Nery, you be nice to your plants now, lol!

Carol

i'm a latecomer, shuggins- but have to mention about the SCENT thing. to me, peacock orchids have an amazingly strong scent, but some people can't smell them!- my good friend who grows them as well, really doesn't think they smell! to me, they are almost overpowering- kind of gardenia like. so I've taken a sort of informal poll- some people smell them, and others not- it doesn't have to do with being able to smell or not, my friend can smell all sorts of other flowers! so maybe your flowers DO smell, but just not for you!

Come to think of it, my crocosmia in the same bed never bloomed either. Grrr... I wonder if they didn't appreciate all of the peat I added to the soil for my delphiniums. I bet the soil is quite acidic.

Here is a pix of my peacock orchid aka acidanthera taken today. The leaves are beginning to look spent so I'm afraid there won't be any blooms this year either. Grrrr. I know it gets sufficient water and light because everything else in that area is thriving, including hibiscus and oleander. I got 1 or 2 blooms, that's been it so far.

I cut back some of the really brown leaves off of mine, just because they were starting to look really rough. I am starting to get a second round of blooms. Not as many as the first time, but a few, but they still don't have any fragrance to them at all.

I can't stand it! everybody has blooms but me

Yeah, but everyone has smell, but me.

No blooms over here either. Some of the leaves have browned over here as well so maybe next year.

I planted some of these bulbs about 6 years ago and for the first two years, they bloomed fine. Then I noticed that I did not get hardly any more blooms, and if there were blooms, they were deformed. Could it be a thrip problem? Thrips have attacked all my regular gladiolas and I am thinking about digging up all of those bulbs and tossing them.

such a bummer with the glads- it seems to happen so easily- i'd love to know how to cure/prevent it- not sure if it's thrips or not, but it seems to get them sooner or later (usually the next season here). Ihave to buy new bulbs and plant in a new spot...my only way of preventing it...