Phalaenopsis species reccomendations for beginners

[Orchid grower]

Hi everyone!

I am so excited to say that I will be attending my first ever orchid show and sale at the end of this week.

As of right now I own 10 phalaenopsis NOID and 1 paph maudiae (purple colour).

I am wanting to pick up some Phals with identification - is that what makes them a species?

I have already confirmed with one vendor they will have phalaenopsis Schilleriana and I am soooooo excited. I absolutely love that big lip and am so excited to own one.

Now I dont know too much about other phal species so was looking for some recommendations?

I was thinking if I see phal equestris I may pick her up and possibly phal Belina? But are these good for beginners or should I focus on something else?

Thanks for your recommendations and advice in advance!

[orchidsarefun]

Phal bastianii - easy to grow and bloom without any special conditions. Just like it warmer than 70f year round.

[Orchid grower]

Originally Posted by orchidsarefun

Phal bastianii - easy to grow and bloom without any special conditions. Just like it warmer than 70f year round.

Thank you for your reply I just looked it up and I do love the look of the flowers - they are different from the look of regular phals I've seen.
It may be hard for me to keep it around 70f/21°C year round but I do own a seedling mat so its not impossible.. I'll keep my eyes open for this one!

[MrHappyRotter]

The concept of species is a bit nebulous but with lots of hand waving over the complexities, it refers to genetically similar wild populations of plants and their cultivated direct genetic descendants. A species is a species because its parents were both the same species, and their parents, and so on. Conversely, any plant whose parentage involves two or more species is called a hybrid.

When people are following correct taxonomic notation, you can discern a species from a hybrid via capitalization. The first part of the name, the genus, is always capitalized. However, the second part, the taxon, is lower case if the plant is a species. Otherwise, if it is a man made hybrid, then the taxon is capitalized.

So, in the case of Phalaenopsis schilleriana, you can immediately recognize it as being a species because schilleriana should be lower case. Same for Phal equestris and Phal bellina.

In the case of the hybrid Phalaenopsis Golden Butterfly, the Golden Butterfly part is capitalized because it's a hybrid.

As for Phal species that are good for beginners, I think Phal. equestris would be a slightly better choice. They tend to be a bit more forgiving and take up a lot less space. But if you've got the room, the right growing conditions, and a bit of experience under your belt, then Phal. bellina is certainly a viable option.

[fishmom]

Another possibility is Phal. fasciata. It has been a vigorous grower for me, multiple spikes and basal growths. It likes it warm, like all phals, but I think it is more forgiving than bellina.

[SaraJean]

Originally Posted by Orchid grower

I am wanting to pick up some Phals with identification - is that what makes them a species?

If you are just looking for named Phals- the world is your oyster. There are so many lovely named Phal hybrids out there that have the same care as the NOID’S you already grow. The only difference is that someone took the time to keep track of the parentage of ones with a proper name tag. If you know who the parents are, it has an ID. That’s all an ID tag means.

As noted above by MrHappyRotter, simply having a name does not make it a species. Here is a link that explains it better than I ever could https://staugorchidsociety.org/PDF/W...ySueBottom.pdf
You cross a species with a different species, you get a hybrid. A species with a hybrid, still a hybrid. Cross a hybrid with another hybrid and, you guessed it- the offspring is still a hybrid.

Now for actual species Phals, the equestris and schilleriana are pretty darn easy to care for. A Phal schilleriana was actually my first orchid and has been quite forgiving, just needs a pinch more light to bloom than some hybrid phals. The bellina has always given me problems but that’s because it’s a not as tolerant of less than ideal temps than the other two. I can never seem to keep that one warm enough.

Just know that when you start growing any orchid species it’s important to look up the cultural requirements for that specific species. The general care guidelines for a genus (in this case, the genus is Phals) are usually geared towards the vigorous and forgiving hybrids. Species tend to have a more narrow range of conditions that they will be happy in. That is not always the case, there are some wonderfully forgiving species out there, but it is a good habit to get into

[aliceinwl]

I bought a Phalaenopsis stuartiana 'Sogo' last year. I've given it the same care as my hybrid NOID Phals and it's done fine, but I've only had it a year so it's too soon to tell if it'll rebloom under these conditions.

If named hybrids are also on the menu, I recently got a Phalaenopsis Sogo Pony 'Montclair'. So far this is my only Phal that is very fragrant at normal room temperatures (low 70s). With all my other fragrant Phals, I have to stick my nose right in the flower to scent them. The nice thing about shows is you can give your potential purchases a sniff too.

[camille1585]

Easy Phal species in my conditions are Phal equestris, Phal pallens, Phal lueddemanniana, Phal mannii and Phal schilleriana. Phal equestris is an excellent choice, and there are several color types of it. Just so you are aware, this species is a sequential bloomer, so you only get 5-10 open flowers at once. As some start to wilt, other start opening.

You should consider primary hybrids (a cross between 2 species) as well, there's lots of interesting things to chose from.

But as mentioned above, if you want named plants, you're not limited to species! If you want Phals that look different that the supermarket nameless hybrids, there are also plenty of named plants to chose from. If you want a plant a bit similar to bellina but easier to grow, one popular hybrid on this side of the pond is Phal Sweet Memory "Liodoro" (Often sold as Phal Liodoro).

At the orchid show, if there are orchids that catch your eye, be sure to talk to the vendor to find out if it is something that will grow in your conditions. There's nothing more disappointing than spending money on plants that catch your eye, only for them to to be unhappy in your conditions and then fail to bloom, or die.

[Orchid grower]

Omg thank you so much for the great recommendations! Thanks for everyone who also explained what a species phal is! Makes alot more sense. I did not realize hybrids could also be named.. I am definitely not just interested in species but also hybrids.

[MrHappyRotter]

Originally Posted by Orchid grower

Omg thank you so much for the great recommendations! Thanks for everyone who also explained what a species phal is! Makes alot more sense. I did not realize hybrids could also be named.. I am definitely not just interested in species but also hybrids.

Hybrids are generally going to be easier than species. There's a phenomenon called hybrid vigor that tends to make hybrid orchids more suitable (or more adaptable to) home growing conditions compared to species. Though there are some species like many of the ones people have mentioned that are pretty much about as easy to grow and bloom as any hybrid.

That being said, you may want to look for hybrids that involve the species folks have mentioned to you. For instance, Phal. equestris hybrids tend to be exceptionally floriferous and vigorous. You can use a site like Phals.net or OrchidRoots to help figure out the parentage of things.

It's also much, much easier to find labelled plants if you acquire them from reputable nurseries, though you'll probably need to order them online. You might luck out though and find that there are decent nurseries within driving distance or you might be able to go to an orchid show and find something you like there. Another advantage of this is that growers can usually make good suggestions and offer solid advice on what plants might suit your tastes.