Outdoor Epiphytic Orchids for Temperate/Mediterranean Climates
 

Hi Everybody,

I'm currently compiling a list of epiphytic species orchids that can be grown outdoors year around in temperate/mediterranean climates and would be interested to know what epiphytic species orchids people in those types of climates are growing outdoors year around.

Please try and include your highest average temp and your lowest average temp for your city. For example, for Glendale, CA (my location) the average highest temperature is 86F and the average lowest temperature is 41F (source).

Here's a list of my 'proven' orchids...

Dendrobium delicatum
Dendrobium kingianum
Dendrobium nobile
Dendrobium speciosum
Dendrobium teretifolium
Epidendrum parkinsonianum
Laelia albida
Laelia anceps
Laelia gouldiana
Laelia pumila
Laelia/Schomburgkia superbiens
Oncidium flexuosum
Oncidium ornithorhynchum

Here's a list of my 'testing' orchids...

Barkeria melanocaulon
Bifrenaria harrisoniae
Bulbophyllum ambrosia
Bulbophyllum congestum aka B. odoratissimum
Bulbophyllum intersitum
Coelogyne fimbriata
Dendrobium densiflorum
Dendrobium dichaeoides
Dendrobium falcorostrum
Dendrobium findlayanum
Dendrobium gracilicaule
Dendrobium linguiforme
Dendrobium pugioniforme
Dendrobium striolatum
Dendrobium vonroemeri? (Herpetophytum sect)
Dinema polybulbon
Diplocaulobium stelliferum
Encyclia hanburyi
Encyclia tampensis
Epidendrum conopseum
Epidendrum porpax aka E. peperomia
Eria reptans
Laelia autumnalis
Laelia furfuracea
Maxillaria sophronitis
Mediocalcar decoratum
Mexicoa ghiesbreghtiana
Pholidota chinensis
Phymatidium tillandsioides
Rhyncholaelia digbyana
Rhynchostele rossii
Sarcochilus ceciliae
Sarcochilus hartmannii
Stanhopea hernandezii

Here's a list for Sydney, Australia (temperatures occasionally down to 0C and up to 49C)

Here's a list for Kerang, Australia (temperature down to -5C)

So if you live in any of these locations... Southern Australia, New Zealand, Central to Central and Southern Argentina and Chile, Central and Southern US (minus Hawaii and S. Florida), Spain, Italy, Greece, Southern Africa, Central to Northern China, Japan, Korea, Northern India, Nepal, etc. ... I'd love to hear what epiphytic species orchids you are growing year around outdoors.

By epiphytic do you mean growing outside attached to trees or do you mean epiphytic orchids in pots? The list compiled for the Manly area is referring to pots and in particular under shadecloth/in a bushhouse.

I have a bunch of Cymbidium hybrids, Dendrobium speciosums, Dendrobium kingianums, Dendrobium gracilicaule, Dendrobium x delicatum, Dendrobium linguiformis, Dendrobium aemulum and Dockrillias all growing out in the yard either in the ground, on rocks or in trees.

But there's an absolute tonne that could grow in pots.

From your tester list, the falcorostrum might need a little bit too much cool humidity to survive a dry temperate summer as a true epiphyte. The Sarcochilus sp. are similar and they are clump-forming so aren't great for vertical branches of trees.

Also for the speciosums, the D. speciosum var. speciosum works better in temperate conditions than the more humid growing Den. speciosum var. rex, var. hillii, var. tarberi etc. The named hybrids usually have more of the humid variations in them.

Undergrounder, by epiphytic I mean orchids that grow on trees in their native environment. I'm interested in hearing about any and all epiphytic orchids... whether they are growing in pots or mounted. Just as long as they are grown outdoors year around in non-tropical climates.

It's not very clear cut for many orchids though. Not sure how true this is but I heard that Dendrobium speciosum is found mainly growing on rocks because frequent fires burn away the ones growing on trees. Also, it seems many growers are switching from bark to rock... further blurring the epiphyte/lithophyte distinction.

Perhaps another way of looking at it would be from the angle of medium size. The larger the medium the more epiphytic and the smaller the medium the more terrestrial the orchid is. I'm interested in the orchids that grow in medium to large mediums.

In any case, moisture is definitely an important consideration but the primary factor I'm looking to narrow the orchid list by is temperature intolerance. It's easier to increase moisture by including sphagnum moss, installing misters or watering more frequently but it's harder to protect against cold temperatures... past putting up shade cloth. In other words.... I'm more inclined to stand out there with a hose than with a heater.

Thanks for your thoughts on my 'testing' list... I just mounted the Sarcochilus and was debating putting them on a horizontal or vertical branch and deciding to go with the vertical branch because of their monopodial habit. I'll definitely keep a close eye on them to make sure they are getting enough water.

Also, is a bushhouse the same thing as a lath house? I have a book on Australian orchids and they list the orchid as either requiring a greenhouse or bushhouse but I've never heard of a bushhouse before.

In that case you can add my entire collection written down in my profile. Minus the Phals, Masdevallias and the marble-leafed Paphs.

Keep in mind where i am and where that Manly list was collated, we very rarely if ever get frosts.

Yeah plenty of the Thelychiton genus grow on rocks, most of mine are growing on a rock in the backyard. They're by far the hardiest and most spectacular in flower, i think by far the best choice for low-maintenance temperate gardens.

The monopiodal habit is true except that they grow new growths from the base like Paphs. So unless you split them constantly, all the new plants will form a large clump, i've seen clumps up to a metre in diameter. That's OK if you have a mount that can support the weight, but shallow pots are more successful. The best Sarcanthinae plants for mounts are the smaller ones (falcatus) or the truly monopiodal Plectorrhiza or hybrids with Plecto in them.

A bushhouse is just a 'glasshouse' made from shadecloth instead of plastic/glass.

Here is my outdoor grow list for the Monterey Area, A.K.A. Coastal Central, California. This past winter had the coldest night at 28 degrees(-2 degrees celcius) and everything is still growing!

Masdevallia coccinea alba
Masdevallia coccinea purple
Onc. flexuosum
Onc. Makilii x ornithohynchum 'Boso Sweet'
Zygo. Adelaide Charmer x Zba. Kiwi
Wils. Ursula Isler
Bllra. Marfitch 'Howards Dream' AM/AOS
Schomb. superbiens
Encyclia citrina
C. intermedia
C. intermedia var. Aquinii x L. purpurata var. Striata
Iwan. Apple Blossom
Pot. Free Spirit 'Lea'
Lc. Mini Purple
Lc. Fair Catherine
L. Purpurata var. coerulea x self
Slc. Love Castle 'Kurenai' BM/JOGA
L. anceps
Den. speciosum var. hillii 'Don Brown' x self
Den. speciosum var. speciosum collected from Yattalunga
Den. Lynette Banks x speciosum var speciosum
Den. Yondi Brolga
Den. nobile NOID
Den. Super Ise
Den. chrysotoxum
Den. kingianum
Den. NOID (Australian type)
Den. Delicatum 'Rosminah'
Sarccochilus hartmanii
Holc. amesianum
Aerides odorata
Phalaenopsis taenialis
Ascofinetia Cherry Blossom 'Santa Cruz Sunset'
Epiphronitis veitchii
Epidendrum radicans

hi, im new here and hardly understand how this works. im from spain so my english isn´t good enough to understand everything but i can understand most of it :)

carlos, is it you? im andres, i hope you remember me :)

this is a very interesting subject so please write here all the orchids you mantain this way.

in my city we have very cold winters (-10º celsius, usually frost), so anyone who can help...thanks!!

Hi Andres! Yup...it's me. Welcome to the board! If you look through some of my old posts I'm sure you'll find some information on cool / cold growing orchids.

yeah i know, i saw some of them, they are really good and useful. people arent usually interested in which plants can addapt to low temps, so this is quite interesting. for exmaple, i have had a phalaenopsis hybrid which stood night with 5 degrees celsius for more than 2 months. the maximum was 16º sometimes less (like 12º-10º). finally it died, inside, my father dropped it and all its roots broke so it (dehidratated )lost all the water. its health was perfect. you cant add phals to your list hahhaha anyway, but they are ok.

The Phalaenopsis subgenus Aphyllae, contains a few species which appreciate colder night temps in winter. One that has done wonderfully for me down to -2 degrees Celsius and has bloomed twice a year has been Phalaenopsis taenialis. While I will be testing out practical cold tolerance with Phalaenopsis hainanensis soon.

hi there again!! im back, im almost finishing my final exams so i have a bit of time right now

well i just found that oncidium spilopterum can stand frost.

have a look at this website: Orchid News # 19

Thanks for sharing that link! I've posted the following in other threads but figure I'll add them to this one as well...

Miltonia flavescens in snow

Vanda coerulea in snow...

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4007/...8a137a3e_m.jpg

Also, here's a good discussion on the cold tolerance of Epidendrum conopseum.

Hi,
I'm new here & have found this a very interesting topic. I'm in Australia, Newcastle that's about 200kms north of Manly in Sydney and just a bit warmer through the winter months, but not much. I'm not that far off 60 y.o. and never recall it ever going below around 5degC overnight min. & we don't get frosts. I have a very small garden with no room for an orchid house of any kind but I do have a number of Plumeria ( frangipani ) trees and native palms. I grow what orchids I have either in pots through the garden or mounted on these trees. My main problems in this situation are snails, grasshoppers & caterpillars. As far as climate goes, I grow on the trees Oncidiums, soft cane Dendrobiums, non-phalanthe Aust. native Dendrobiums, Slc / Sc / Blc etc ( I think hybrid vigour is important here ), Laelia anceps, Miltonia spectabilis & X bluntii & a Trudelia(Vanda) cristata X. They get what shade and shelter the trees provide in the summer, that's pretty much bright shade & those on the Plumeria get pretty much full sun in the winter. They get what ever the weather throws at them. This includes some extreme heat & both hot & cold dry winds. I do what I can with a hose but they are pretty tough and seem to get tougher as time passes.
Again I was really interested in this topic & have taken a lot from it...have a new list to search for...ho, ho, ho.
A question..I have a Mystacidium capense, a little African monopodial, I wat to put it onto one of the Plumerias but it seems it likes lower light levels from my investigations. However, it's habitat description doesn't sound that it would in habitat...Acacia scrubland! Has anyone grown it in bright light with success?
Ron

ronkbrown, thanks for sharing!

Mystacidium capense is one of my favorites. Mine is growing in Cattleya light and it does great.

Here's a list that I compiled of Monopodial Orchids Outdoors in Southern California. You should be able to grow most, if not all, in your climate.

It would be great to see photos of your orchids mounted on your Plumerias. Here's a group on flickr dedicated to growing orchids on trees.

Was typing a reply & it disappeared? wonder if it got through?

Obviously not. Here we go again. Thanks for the replies. My computer skill isn't up to pics 'yet' but when/if I get there I'll certainly have a go. I'm barely managing to navigate this web site at this stage & mostly finding where I want to be by accident...LOL
Thanks again for the very handy hints...Ron

@ undergrounder
"From your tester list, the falcorostrum might need a little bit too much cool humidity to survive a dry temperate summer as a true epiphyte."
There used to be a magnificent clump approx 60 cm across of D. falcoroustrum growing in a chinese elm ulmus parvifolia in Hyde Park in Sydney. I can't get mine (potted) to flower reliably in Sydney, but it used to flower its head off in Melbourne... maybe needs a bit more winter chill?

Very interesting topic epiphyte.
Can you specify for how many days or hours could maintains the minimum temperature without problems?

On florence the temperature have a range between:
-2°C : during some night on winter.
But when this happen during the daytime the temperature remain at 0 or 1 °C.
and
36°C : some days during the summer

However i read that for avoid to freeze the soil of plants grown in pots could be useful put an non-woven fabric.

alessandro, that's an excellent question. I have no idea. Here's what I recently posted in another forum though...

**************

"The ability to reduce the freezing point of water that's inside the tissues of that plant and also, once that water freezes, to allow that plant to survive freezing temperatures [helps]," Dr. Francko said. "It can be frozen solid and still be viable."

We all know that cold and dry is a better combination than cold and wet...but why is this the case? For a while I kind of figured that it had to do with reducing an orchid's susceptibility to rot. This could certainly be true...but in terms of freeze damage...an orchid that's been dry over a certain amount of time...or "dehydrated"...will have less water in its cells. With less water in its cells the less damage it might sustain during freezing.

Practically speaking, while it might be a challenge to keep a mounted orchid hydrated during summer...that same challenge might work to its advantage during winter.

I've been meaning to conduct a simple experiment to see how well this works out. Basically, I would take two leaves from the common Jade Plant (Crassula ovata)...a freshly separated leaf and a leaf that had been removed a week earlier...and put them in the freezer. Not sure how long I'd leave them in the freezer though. Then I'd compare the extent of the cold damage in both leaves.

What do the Jade Plant and many orchids have in common? Crassulacean Acid Metabolism (CAM). It's basically a technique that plants from arid climates use to reduce water loss during the day. As the name implies...this method of metabolism was first observed in the Crassula family. A side effect of CAM is succulence.

While most orchids do not occur in arid climates...many of the epiphytic ones can be considered to occur in arid microclimates. In fact, the percentage of CAM orchids occurring in a given section of forest is a good indicator of where that forest falls on the moisture continuum.

A fun tidbit for your friends that are really into cactus/succulents is that the Orchidaceae has more CAM species than any other plant family...including the Cactaceae.

All things being equal...in terms of cold damage, I'm definitely leaning towards a CAM orchid being safer mounted on a branch without any moss than in a pot.

**************

What I recommend is making a list of all the subtropical and tropical plants that grow outside in your area. Look up the distribution of each of those plants. Chances are pretty good that some epiphytic orchids share the same distribution ranges. It doesn't guarantee that those orchids will be as cold tolerant...but it is some supporting evidence.

You should also contact my friend Tomas in Rome, Italy. He's been growing quite a few orchids outside year around for some time now. Here's how Florence compares to Rome...

http://chart.apis.google.com/chart?c...0|70|80|90|100
Sources: Orchid Culture, Weather Reports,Temperature Charts

Thanks for the explanation. :)
I have send a message at Tomas a few moment ago.

Note:
The problem with average temperature is that there are just average, given how quickly orchids react i prefer give the worst case scenario.

I found that list for orchid that can take the cold (27 - 100F):
Cold Hardy Cattleyas
Sarcochilus

epiphyte78
What do you think too add at each orchid on your list even if has a nice sweet strong scent?

alessandro, many orchids also experience worst case scenarios in their native habitats! Here's a passage from "The Orchidaceae of The Bahama Archipelago - Taxonomy, Ecology and Biogeographic Patterns"....

Australia, Brazil, China, Mexico, etc. all experience temperature and moisture fluctuations. For example, an orchid grower in Brazil wrote to me that Cattleya tenuis experienced a 7 year drought in its native habitat. The problem is that we haven't been monitoring the extreme temperatures where most of the epiphytic orchids grow as long as we have been monitoring the extremes in more developed countries.

alessandro, here's my list of eurythermal and fragrant orchids.

A decade plus on, I've found great benefit from this post and others of yours. I'd love to know how the ones you were testing fared.

Im really late to the party and not a very experienced grower but Im happy to add the plants I grow.

I live in South Australia, an hour South of Adelaide in a coastal town called Victor Harbor (yes the USA way of spelling harbour)

We don't get the extreme temperature highs experienced by Adelaide. They can get 37C to 45C (98.6f to 113f) sometimes for a week at a time and this is a very dry heat.

Here we get the occasional day with the high temps with the dry heat just like Adelaide but in general temps here are mid to high 20s (75f to 84f) in Summer and probably 5 to 7C (41f to 44f) in Winter.

I found a reference that said the climate here is classed as Csb by the Koppen-Geiger system, if anyone else has knowledge of this weather scale. I will look more into this K-G system myself.

I live a klm from the sea facing open hills where the prevailing wind comes from.
I grow outside under a verandah.
I grow mostly hybrids, Cyms, Dendrobium, got a couple of speciosum growing from cuttings, but they are very slow.
Cattleya, Oncidium Alliance, Sarcochilus, Epidendrum and Tolumnia.
My Sarcs are in a Leca type media which Im planning to change as I feel they dry out too quickly. The rest of the above are in either medium or small bark.
Apart from the Cattleya, which are not big enough to flower yet, everything else has flowered outside.
I have deflasked Tolumnia, mounted them and they are hanging outside. Last night was 9C overnight. So far Im really happy with the way they are growing, they have new fans so hopefully there are new roots behind the moss.

I'm happy to hear a Tolumnia can handle the SA outdoors, I thought our cool nights wouldn't agree with them. I might try popping one of mine in the shadehouse and see how it goes along with the Onc intergenerics I'm experimenting with.

I'm actually doing the opposite in moving my Sarc's into leca after seeing Kevin Western's nursery and all of his growing in that media (and nearly losing one I bought at a show to root rot).

Im worried about the cool nights too, Im hoping with shadecloth at the back of the shelving (Western side) and on the side (North side) plus the house (Eastern side) and a protecting hill on the Southern side they might be ok. Im willing to take a risk with them as I have quite a few.

Edited...
Forgot to mention the Sarcs. I got mine from Kevin Western too which is why Ive left them in the media they came with as he seems to have great success with the expanded clay ball media. Maybe Im just not watering enough.

Initially I thought that the cold was going to be the biggest factor, but then it turned out that the orchids that have done the best for me are the drier growers.

Hi I grow outdoors only without protection other than the eaves. A lot of my orchids are hanging under eaves on the shady side of the house and the sarcs and docks are doing well