Favorite Orchid Foliage

[ArronOB]

I must have common tastes. I like best the thick, deep green, glossy foliage of a well grown phal.

[Bulbopedilum]

If we're only talking about leaves, then I like the regular jewel orchids (Macodes, etc) but I dont think I'd say they're my favorites. I can't really pick a favorite, actually, so here's some I like.
-Nephelaphyllum pulchrum (Brown spotted leaves, I have this)
-Collabium simplex (Spotted green leaves)
-Bulbophyllum reticulatum (Nice "mosaic" pattern)
-Malaxis calophylla (Edge of the leaves are light)
-Malaxis metallica (Purple leaves)
-Nervilia aragoana (Green leaves with purple spots)
-Nervilia plicata (Dark blue-green leaves with small hairs, purple underside. I have this one)

But if we include pseudobulbs, then I'd say Porpax (Very cool "net" pattern on the flat and fat pseudobulbs), Bulbophyllum polliculosum (White, fat, flat, pseudobulbs), and some other "mushy" bulbophyllums (Example: B. triste). I dont know why, but I love the look of fat, leafless, pseudobulbs.

[OrchidBro]

Ludisia discolor here

I love the flowers on it as well but most people grow it just for the foliage and not the flowers at all.

[Roberta]

Stenorrynchos and Sarcoglottis (and hybrids) Stennorrynchos speciosum has beautiful velvety dark green foliage with spots (variable), and flowers are red with red bracts. Sargoglottis sceptrodes has nice striped foliage and really weird flowers that look to me like seahorses or dragons. Stenosarcos Vanguard is a hybrid of the two genera, also very attractive. In all cases, old rosettes die back after blooming but new ones are already on the way. Low light, warmish temps, grow in well-drained potting soil - perfect house plants.

[Subrosa]

This one just arrived, and it definitely has a place on my list. Cattleya Moscombe:

[Dollythehun]

Very cool, Subrosa!

[DirtyCoconuts]

Very cool indeed subrosa

[Chemtiger]

Originally Posted by SaraJean

If we are JUST talking about leaves (sorry little cucumber orchid dude, unless the pickles count as leaves, idk)

But yes! The Dendrobium cucumerinum’s “pickles” are the leaves! I love them so much that I had to get two!

Also, but I have no clue as far as their care, but I’d love to maybe try, would be a Vanda with terete leaves, like the Vanda/Papilionanthe ‘Miss Joaquim’, I love the almost succulent-looking leaves that they have. The flowers are pretty too, or so I hear! My orchids don’t flower much for me, so I rely on the pics from y’all!

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by Chemtiger

Also, but I have no clue as far as their care, but I’d love to maybe try, would be a Vanda with terete leaves, like the Vanda/Papilionanthe ‘Miss Joaquim’, I love the almost succulent-looking leaves that they have. The flowers are pretty too, or so I hear! My orchids don’t flower much for me, so I rely on the pics from y’all!

If your orchids aren't blooming for you after a year or so, can you increase the light they get? Pailionanthe especially needs high light. I think your outdoor temperatures (at least most of the year) should be fine for it. (They can even tolerate the occasional cool night if kept dry... I don't have that one, but I have seen it grown outdoors in southern California - where it does get cool in winter - so it should do fine for you on the Gulf coast)

[Chemtiger]

Originally Posted by Roberta

If your orchids aren't blooming for you after a year or so, can you increase the light they get? Pailionanthe especially needs high light. I think your outdoor temperatures (at least most of the year) should be fine for it. (They can even tolerate the occasional cool night if kept dry... I don't have that one, but I have seen it grown outdoors in southern California - where it does get cool in winter - so it should do fine for you on the Gulf coast)

Indeed! I have made a very large investment in some (okay, 36, but it’s for the ‘chids!!) tube-shaped T8 full-spectrum LEDs. They’re pretty cool grow lights, but not that “Hi, ma’am [sir, as the case may be], we’re from the DEA and your neighbors have told us about your ‘orchids’, can we have a look?” magenta-blue color that typical grow lights have. They’re a “warm-white” and very, very bright. I know life is about to change with my orchids, I could always get great vegetative growth, but unless they were my “outside orchids” I have a bit of trouble—at times—re-blooming, or getting consecutive years to bloom. I’m sort of hard on myself as far as how well they do, because I almost always have some blooming orchids, but I picked up a bunch of seedlings that I’m going to pot up in different media, to compare (as “rigorously” as I possibly can!) how they do in each type. Thank you for being so friendly, genuine, and helpful, it really means a lot. I’m sort of self-deprecating, I keep forgetting that there’s not a font for that, nor for sarcasm.