How to Acquire Ghost Orchid in SoCal?
 

Hi all! So I have been off the forum for ages. I killed my beginner collection, of a few plants, and gave up, thinking I just had a 'black thumb'. Turns out I just made a crucial beginner mistake with fertilizing. I realized this when I got into Bonsai pretty recently, and it re-awakened my interest in Orchids!

So I have bought a few Orchids recently, and this time only planning on one Moon Orchid, really appreciating the more hobby plant possibilities (not that Phalaenopsis isn't there).

So to get to my simple question, does anyone know how I can acquire a Ghost Orchid plant, which I can find or have shipped to me in Southern California? I messaged a UK seller, awaiting their response.

Anyway, thanks in advance. And it's nice to be back! :waving

You need import permits and CITES permits to ship orchid species internationally. For practical purposes it's not going to happen. You can find them in the US from time to time.

Got it, thank you! Maybe a few years down the line, and if and should I have the proper setup, I might be lucky enough to keep one lol. Though in fact, I recently ordered a pretty inexpensive plant whose flowers resembles the Ghost, in my opinion.. it's an Anancheilium chimborazoense. :)

Anacheilium [Ahl.] chimborazoense is certainly a much easier orchid to grow than a Ghost Orchid... they're not even remotely related. Ahl. chimborazoense comes from a range of elevations (but I can't find reference to what those are) over a range of countries from Panama to Ecuador and Venezuela (IOSPE) So don't be guided by appearance to figure what might be related to what. Look up the species. (Hint, there are a lot of "spidery-looking" species, in various groups, that are easy to grow under a range of conditions. Again, take a look at my website... for instance, there are some Angraecums that I grow outside that may give you the "look" that you want, that are easy in a southern California climate,

Hi.

Are you dead set on dendrophylax lindenii? I love about 98 miles from Fakhatchee strand and I have killed 6 of them. I will try again…one day. But they are really delicate and one mis-step and they don’t recover.

As the wise Roberta said, there are much easier leafless orchids and I would be happy to suggest some of it is of interest to you.

If you are wedded to the Florida ghost, then I wish you great luck on your journey and please keep us posted.

Thank you again :)

Sorry for my late response! I am not dead set, at least in the immediate future :). I am thinking an enclosed setup with total control of conditions, like an indoor vivarium, or hybridized outdoor setup might work, if that makes sense...

I would very much like to hear suggestions for other leafless species! I am very curious, if you would be so kind.

:thanx:

Since California is pretty tight on imporing plants, even from other states, you may want to do a flask. Here is a link to a place that sells them

HBI, Producer of Fine Orchids in Flask

Thanks very much for the link, very interesting website! It’s my understanding that it takes several years for an Orchid to progress from seed to first bloom. How far along would a flasked orchid be, how long till first bloom? Of course it must vary by species, but what is an approximate range?

I believe that he sells flasks ready to open and pot up. I have no real experience with dendrophyllax nor have I raised plants from that stage, but im under the impression that they generally need 4/5/6 or so years once they are deflasked. I wouldn't be surprised if the little leafless ones are different from the norm.

That is a great question for Mick at HBI. He would probably be a wealth of knowledge in the matter, since he specializes in the ghost orchids.

I don't know how long it takes after taking these out of flask, but the bigger challenge is keeping the babies alive. Not trivial even with species that are easy to grow when more mature... but this one would be difficult to keep alive in southern California even if it were more established. It would under the best of circumstances still take quite a few years to bloom - grows slowly - but the odds of keeping it alive are also low. I don't know anybody who has done it, and I know quite a few orchid growers.