Fun Phalaenopsis facts
What is the difference between a Phalaenopsis and an orchid?
Think of it like this: Phalaenopsis is my first name and orchid is my surname; the name of my family. There are lots of brothers and sisters in my orchid family. But you can call me whichever you prefer; I’ll answer to both!
Where are you from?
I am from Southeast Asia, but you can find members of my family in the Philippines too, and even in Australia, where you may come across remote descendants of mine.
Where do you grow?
In our natural habitat, Phalaenopsis mostly grow in trees, where we can grow without needing to extract nutrients from our hosts. Where there are no suitable trees, we prefer a well-aerated soil, such as a mixture of humus and bark, although we are quite happy with a spot on a rock or in a crevice, as long as we are nearby a river or stream.
How do orchids grow?
We have roots, just like any other plant. Here our roots are contained in a pot, but in our natural habitat we grow aerial roots: roots that do not enter the soil but instead twirl around a tree, for example.