Species Orchid, Vanda, Blue Vanda

Coos Bay,OR
zone 9a
The Blue Vanda was my first attempt at cultivating any of the vandas; It has done quite well in the coo...Read Morel temperatures that prevail here on the oregon coast. Though most vandas are reported to require warm temperatures this species is from higher elevations in southeast asia and is thriving with temperatures here that generally remain below 65 and dipped down into the 40s during fall evenings before the plant was brought inside for the winter. Try this one even if you cannot accommodate the warm growing requirement of other vandas. My plant is on a stick mount that allows the thick roots to wander around where you can see the beautiful silver velamen and get all the air they need after a daily watering. The wonderful flowers bloom in late fall and lasted for about six weeks in october and november for me.

One of the most popular asiatic orchids, Vandas are very demanded by its big, blue/purple, long lived flowers.

This is a s...Read Moreemi-herbaceous, branchless herb, with ocasional thick roots coming out from the stem around the leaves. These leaves are narrow, smooth, with variable texture, mostly leathery. The flowers come from lateral inflorescences, bearing 10-15 flowers. The flowers have large petals, with a blue net pattern color on white background. The lip is short and purple.

I never tried it myself, but I know that this plant need light to bloom, though it´s recomended to avoid direct sunlight. It needs an organic medium - bark bits, Tree Fern fiber -, and preferably something where it can climb on - again, something organic. It requires moisture and some humidity, plus high to moderate temperatures.

Can be propagated from stem cuttings, if secondary roots on the stem are already stabilished.