Phalaenopsis philippinensis

[Bud]

This winter-blooming orchid has silvery mottled leaves and produces an arching spike with pink-tinted white flowers. This plant is endemic to the island of Luzon in the Philippines. In its natural environment, this grows along tree branches in dense, humid forests of the Cordillera mountain ranges. They only have two seasons: the dry hot summers and the monsoon rains. The most impressive plant in bloom I seen on pictures is the one from Wiki taken at the National Orchid Garden in Singapore. That made me decide to grow this kind of plant.
The silvery mottled leaves of this orchid are broad, tongue-like and shiny with an underlay of dark green. Each leathery leaf rises from nodes along a very short stem. After the last blossom fades, the stalk remains and often will send up a side shoot from a lower node for a second batch of blooms so don’t cut the spike too soon.
It is an epiphyte that grows best mounted on a tree trunk, cork slab, nestled in a slatted basket or potted. I decided to pot it in a drilled decorative glass vase filled with bark mix, coco chips, lava rock, charcoal and clay chips.
From spring to fall water frequently (evenly moist but not wet) or only when the plant and bark are dry to the touch. I provide it with high humidity and ample air circulation to prevent rot. Weekly weakly fertilizer and I alternate it with seaweed mix and worm tea mix. This orchid needs very bright indirect light; dark green leaves usually mean light levels are too low. Protect from frost.