Favorite Orchid Foliage

[Kruger]

What is your favorite orchid foliage? I like Laelia Purpurata's long leaves and long sheaths. They aren't the prettiest or showiest, but I just love the look of them. They are also my #1 favorite flower, but I still like the foliage as well.

[WaterWitchin]

My personal favorite orchid foliage is the kind that's pristine, and has no grasshopper bites, black spots, or crinkles. It can happen. Just not for me most of the time.

[Kruger]

Originally Posted by WaterWitchin

My personal favorite orchid foliage is the kind that's pristine, and has no grasshopper bites, black spots, or crinkles. It can happen. Just not for me most of the time.

Oncidiums with their thin leaves would really suit what you are looking for

[DirtyCoconuts]

I have a huge NOID onc. that is like a grass it is so long and wavy. When there are no spikes it reminds me of sawgrass

Brassa bloom by J Solo, on Flickr


I also love encylias and their long tendrils and catesetums have some great leaves too. The mottled paph leaves are cool to. They look like digital camouflage

And of course....my jewels. They have the BEST leaves.

[Subrosa]

Goodyera pubescens. I spotted this one yesterday looking for something else. It doesn't look too bad for having just experienced a week of night time temps I the high teens / low 20s!

[SaraJean]

If we are JUST talking about leaves (sorry little cucumber orchid dude, unless the pickles count as leaves, idk) I would have to say that it’s a toss up between my:

-Maxillaria pseudoreichenheimiana (glorious spots)
-Lepanthes calodictyon (velvety tessellated leaves)
-Habenaria carnea (rosy copper leaves with light blush spots)
-Macodes petola (metallic lighting strikes!!)


And ones I don’t have and would give my right arm to be able to grow:

-Any one of those bonnet flowered big leaf Pleuros like the Pleurothallis marthae, teaguei, or gargantua (big, broad, tropical looking, beautiful leaves. Too bad the plants themselves aren’t really tropical...)
-the Pleurothallis dodsonii (strange but awesome wart covered leaves)

[DirtyCoconuts]

I forgot the dendrochillums. The wenzeii and others with the pointy almost dart-shaped leaves and the magnum with her huge broad leaves. Stunner

[Afid]

All of them!

[Afid]

Pholidota chinensis has particularly nice leaves (and bulbs) in my opinion, I have trouble keeping them in good condition though. I also enjoy other Coelogyne species Especially C. incrassata with its unusual coppery foliage.

[neophyte]

many of the orchids in the genus Oeceoclades have just amazing leaves. some look like snake plants. some even look like reptile skin...