Do you ever buy orchids for their foliage?

[Mokeck]

Yeah, roots are wonderful to look at. Plants that look great out of bloom:
Cym. ensifolium - forms a bushy mass of dark green blade like leaves, looks like a grassy tuft and is pretty all year
Neos and their hybrids - everyone seems to love these. Fan like growth habit, a mature plant with multiple growths is sheer elegance imo
C. skinneri - of the labiate Cattleya this is probably my favorite. Long, slender growths, the two leaves protrude from the tips and for a large plant in growth it looks like green fireworks. The aerial root mass on these is awesome, like a thick curtain that hangs feet from the pot.
It's a good thing I like foliage, too, given the short duration they bloom, but like someone here said, that's just icing on the cake.

[Jayfar]

Originally Posted by HighSeas

I'm a bit weird about the foliage but even more obsessed with ROOTS. Gosh I LOVE roots! I like the flowers of course, but the roots really give me a charge!

When I buy a plant, I look at the foliage....I'm looking for disease and bugs and new growth. And ROOTS! Oh...that's right...the bloom too!

Which is another point in favor of Neofinetia. Next to foliage, fukiran are judged on the appearance of their roots, particularly the color of the root tips. Ruby or pink-tipped roots are particularly popular.

[Sharry]

This is an old thread but I remembered it when my Dendrochilum wenzelii. came into bloom. It has nice grassy foliages on a compact plant with understated flowers. Up close the flowers look like butterflies. I got this one four years ago I think.

[trdyl]

Interesting poll.

Normally I do buy plants for their flowers. But I have to admit recently I have gotten a couple of Neofinetia falcatas and a Sedirea japonica for their lovely vareigated leaves.

[Subrosa]

I bought my Oberonia for its braided foliage, and a Rodriguezia venusta partially for its roots, although its fragrance was a factor in the decision.

[Bud]

Yes. I will acquire an orchid plant that has beautiful leaves. The jewel orchids with its velvety texture, the speckled leaves of a Pahiopedillum, stuartiana and the philippinensis. I also love the shapes and textures of some Lockhartia leaves.

[NYCorchidman]

This is one of my favorites as far as the leaves are concerned.

The flower is quite ugly and small, but I find these leaves very attractive! so I keep the plant just for the leaves.

What's also interesting is it is hard like metal almost unlike my other paphiopedilums, which I find rather odd.

[RosieC]

I love the Paph leaves like those. I think that's why I keep the one I have where I'm not such a fan of the flowers.

[Sharry]

" The flower is quite ugly and small, but I find these leaves very attractive! so I keep the plant just for the leaves."

It does seem like the paphs with the most interesting leave have the hairiest and wartiest flowers.

[tucker85]

Originally Posted by NYCorchidman

This is one of my favorites as far as the leaves are concerned.

The flower is quite ugly and small, but I find these leaves very attractive! so I keep the plant just for the leaves.

What's also interesting is it is hard like metal almost unlike my other paphiopedilums, which I find rather odd.

I like the leaves. What's the name of the orchid?