Featured Plant of the Week (Orchid Odontoglossum)

Orchid Odontoglossum

Diverse and showy, the orchids called odontoglossums stand in contrast to the delicately beautiful phalaenopsis. Unlike their modest cousins, odontoglossums demand your attention, catching the eye with bold shapes and dazzling colors. Their tangled roots seem unruly and wild compared to the tendrils of the phalaenopsis. Even the odontoglossum's care requirements give it a more ferocious quality, as it's capable of growing on the coast and enduring a wider range of conditions than most orchids. Read on to learn more about, and how to care for, this family or orchids.

The genus Odontoglossum is fairly large at about 100 strong, and has an equally impressive number of natural and artificial hybrids. It was first described in 1816 by the German botanist Karl Sigismund Kunth, who holds the distinction of being one of the first to study plants from the Americas. The name Odontoglossum comes from the Greek words odon (tooth) and glossa (tongue), which roughly describes the serrated look of the orchid's lip. Sometimes the petals display the same serration or ruffles of the lip.

In addition to this ruffled lip, odontoglossums usually feature between one and three sword shaped leaves growing out of its pseudobulb. From each compact pseudobulbs also shoots one main stem that can carry between 20 and 150 flowers, depending on the species. Each flower has five petals arranged like a star, and in the center the lip (or labellum) extends perpendicular to the rest of the flower. These flowers come in an unusual array of colors such as white, purple, yellow, brown or yellow, often in spotted or splotchy patterns.

Like most orchids, odontoglossums are tropical and epiphytic. Unlike other orchids they call the high altitudes of the South American Andes their home, with the majority of species living above 5000 feet in the mountain forests of Colombia and Venezuela. In these cool high ranges the odontoglossum thrives where other orchids would die from the chilly nights. This makes them uniquely capable of growing outdoors in more temperate regions, such as here on the coast where the temperature is moderated by the sea.

This has the practical upshot of also making them easier to care for, so if you're having trouble keeping your phals alive give the odont a shot, odds are good it will thrive so long as you meet a few conditions. First is that it should be planted in a medium that drains very well. Like most other orchids, the odontoglossum requires lots of water, but will die if its roots soak or stand in it. Most orchids need pretty warm temperatures, but with odonts you actually need to make sure they're not exposed to more than 75°F to 80°F. At night they can handle about 55°F, so if you're growing them outdoors it would be a good idea to bring them in during the winter. They don't need too much light either, though if the leaves turn a dark green you should probably find a brighter place for them. Conversely if the leaves start taking on a red hue, get them to a shadier spot.

You can find Odontoglossums at BloomRite® Gardens now for only $12.95 per plant. Call ahead to find out about available colors and varieties.