US native orchids

[Indiana Gardener]

Hi all,

  I have not been able to find Habenaria radiata and found out that it is somewhat difficult to keep.

  I was wondering if there are any US native orchids which resemble it and would be easier to obtain and keep outdoors here in northern Indiana?

  If there are any, please let me know of a reputable nursery who has it and does not poach. Thanks.
Bye for now,


Indiana Gardener

 

[jimscott]

Just wanted to hi and welcome to TerraForums. While this is a carnivorous plants oriented discussion forum, there are many members here who also grow orchids. I'm sure they will be chiming in soon. I only have one token orchid and am unqualified to to provide any real help. but I'm sure someone else will.

 

[JB_OrchidGuy]

I am not sure if this is the same plant or one that looks like it, but I had a flower and bulb catalog that had bulbs for a plant that had flowers that looked like the orchid in question.  I can't remember if it was the same species or not, but it was being sold in a bulb book.  I will have to find it if I still have it.  But if it was sold in that book then its pretty easy to grow.  I will look for it.

 

[herenorthere]

That's a very cool species and is on my wish list.  I'll get some (one?) someday when I figure out where I'd put them.  Here are two places I know sell them:

http://www.asiaticanursery.com/
http://www.wildorchidcompany.com/index.html

And I think I even saw them in a Van Bourgondien bulb catalog in the last couple years - http://www.dutchbulbs.com/.   They don't show up in a search now, but maybe it's the wrong season.  Maybe that's where Josh saw them.

Several years ago, I responded to an Orchidmall unclassified ad for them and found out the seller was in Japan.  I asked about the source and how paperwork & shipping could cost so little.  He said nothing about where he got them and that he had shipped lots of them in small padded envelopes to the US and they were never searched.  Definitely a bad situation.

 

[JB_OrchidGuy]

Bruce that is the catalog I saw them in. I haven't found the catalog yet, but the name rings a bell. Real small flowers. I hope you enjoy them Indiana Gardener. Just remember when looking in the bulb catalogs. They describe them as orchid-like. The morons need to put orchid instead of orchid-like.

 

[Indiana Gardener]

Come to think of it, I have seen them in Van Bourgondien's. I looked on their site and can't find them though. The Wild Orchid Company says they will be available this fall.

I think I just may be able to give them their wet summer - dry winter here. I was able to winter over a VFT one winter with mulch. Lost it the following summer though. Don't know why.

I was thinking about putting a cattle supplement tub in the ground and making a small bog for it. Can keep it watered well during the summer and just let it dry out some during the winter.

My only question is, how dry do they like it in the winter? Should I cover it with a tarp to keep snow melt off of it?

Thanks for all the help and happy 4th of July!

 

[herenorthere]

You'll find the better-informed bog gardeners in the "Greenhouses, Terrariums and Bog Gardens" section of General Discussions. I've thought about making one, but have only one ~3 ft x 3 ft area where a bog garden could go and that's where I put my fig tree every summer. Forced to decide between sweet, tasty figs and a bog garden, I decided my bog plants will live in pots.