Do you ever buy orchids for their foliage?

[NYCorchidman]

Originally Posted by 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.

Oh, my, that's exactly how the flower is on this one!
and then small and asymmetrical.

---------- Post added at 03:58 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:54 PM ----------

Originally Posted by tucker85

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

Paphiopedilum Hsinying Alien. This is by the most common paph I have ever seen for years!

I have bought so many of these in the past years only to toss out nearly all of them.
It is highly variable, but the general pattern I see is that the ones with the attractive leaves have ugly flowers, and the one with decent flowers have dull leaves.

I can't believe I just bought another one at the local show. haha
It has rather different leaves, color and pattern are both nothing like I've seen out of this hybrid. The bud is nearly black. will see how the flower will be. very soon.

[Optimist]

The last bunch of orchids I bought was based mainly on the health of the plant and how nice, plump, big the p-bulbs and leaves were. Im a Sansevieria nutter too, and although the oncidium leaves are not impressive, I love the leaves of the Cattelaya alliance. I used to have problems with flowering indoors plants, so I got into the habit of buying plants because I liked the archetectural detailing of the leaves.

[Fairorchids]

Not a single comment about orchids with variegated leaves?

I have bought a few because of variegated leaves (Den. kingianum and a couple of different Paphs), mostly so I can try to breed this feature into the next generation.

[NYCorchidman]

I bought one chun lan (cymbidium goeringii) for beautifully variegated leaves.

There are many people here who collect neo for the same reason.

The problem is many of these (both chun lan and neo) are VERY expensive. lol

[Optimist]

I certainly would get varigated leaves and am looking forward to it! I am an orchid newbie and am sticking with oncs and catts for a year or so. I like thouroughly understanding one type till I move to another. I am sure varigated leaves are in my future. Just not now.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

Orchids in the genus Podochilus are ones I tend to grow for foliage, not just jewel orchids. Their flowers are small and insignificant for the most part, but they got attractive foliage even if it isn't variegated or patterned.

[debrasoon]

Yes


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[Ordphien]

No. Not really.
Though there are ones that I have bought for the flowers, and ended up loving the foliage.
I love my maxillaria tenuifolia. I don't care if it's in bloom or not.
My mini cattleyas delight me daily.
I have two zygo hybrids that have the most stately beautiful foliage.
But I'm mainly a flower person.


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[debrasoon]

I recently (ahem today) added a whole lot of den to my collection cause of their leaf forms but also cause they have nice small flowers.


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[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

You know what…

Oberonias are cool too.