What plants can be grown as phalaenopsis companions?
 

Hello everyone,

So I'm just curious if anyone could provide some suggestions for plants that grow in the same/similar conditions that you'd provide for an indoor/windowsill phalaenopsis orchid. I know African violets are common orchid companions, and I've recently discovered that the white bat flower also grows in similar conditions. I'm hoping to expand my collection with unique and interesting additions that wouldn't mind the same treatment my orchids get. Any suggestions?

I grow cane/angelwing begonias on the windowsills with my orchids. Christmas cactus and orchid cactus (also epiphytes, BTW) seem to grow well alongside the orchids, too. Only problem is many of the cane begonias and orchid cactus get pretty big....

Sinningias and Episcias (related to African violets) should also work, and many of them do tend to stay a bit smaller....

Catherine

orchids like paphiopedalums, low light house plants like Fritonia. Pepperomias. (There are quite a lot of low light houseplants).

Most Begonias.

Technically, African Violets are not great companion plants to Phalaenopsis.
Here's why. To bloom African Violets for a long time without pause, you have to make sure the temperature does not go above 28C, I think that's around 80F. Plants will be fine, but it is already too hot for them and they will not flower until cooler condition returns.
If you don't mind flowerless violets for months, then this is not a problem.
If you keep AV under too cool a temperature, they will also not flower.

Phalaenopsis on the other hand grows the best and fastest during the hot and humid conditions, in temperate zone, this is during the short late spring into summer months when they do most of their growing.
They will still grow fine under not so hot conditions, but I'm just pointing out the ideal growing and flowering conditions to clarify.

With that said, vast majority of commonly sold houseplants will be happy where phalaenopsis are happy. :)
It's a matter of your taste in plant size, appearances, colors, shapes, ....as there are just way too many to choose from.

Begonias are good one, although certain ones like tuberous begonia with large showy flowers do not like temperature as warm as phalaenopsis, and don't tolerate lower humidity that phalaenopsis won't have issue with.

Streptocarpus is a good one in that they can be grown along side African Violet and have lots of colors to choose from.

Are you looking for non-orchids only??

Many other orchids will grow perfectly fine where phalaenopsis grows and flower well.
Many paphiopedilums, oncidiums, cattleyas, even vandas and dendrobiums depending on how you care for your phalaenopsis.

Can you be more specific about your growing conditions so others can better help you?
Where are you phals? which exposure? Are their any tall trees or buildings blocking the sun?
How well do you do with your phalaenopsis?

I think I agree with NYCorchidman and everyone else! I hope you will update us on your indoor garden!

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I'll look into all of these!

NYCorchidman, thanks for your input. I understand that phalaenopsis and violets don't thrive in the exact same conditions. To answer your questions, though, I have my plants set up in my office against a southwest exposure on the 4th floor of a building. No trees or other buildings to block the light. I run a small oscillating fan and a humidifier to keep them as happy as I can, and all the pots are placed on top of a tray of wet rocks. According to my thermometer, the daily temperature ranges (on average) from 61-73 degrees F.

I hope you can see the attached photo. Any further suggestions are most definitely welcome.

Have fun adding to the collection!

I love making arrangements with phals and other tropicals and houseplants. Here are plants that I've grown alongside my orchids, with good success. These plants also tend to stay a good size relative to the orchid, and they provide interesting texture and color to keep your arrangement / growing area interesting, even when the orchid isn't blooming:
Dracaena spike
Chinese evergreen
Cast iron plant
Sansevieria (Mother in Law's tongue)
Prayer plant
Arrowhead plant
Pothos
Spider plant
Rabbit foot fern
Neantha bella palm
Peperomia
Polka dot plant
Asparagus fern (plumosa and others)
Tillandsia (also epiphytes, and a great pairing)
Bromeliads of all sorts
Philodendron vine
Creeping fig
Wandering Jew
Caladiums (although they go dormant in winter and lose their leaves)
Venus fly traps and other predatory plants
... the list goes on and on

As I mentioned, I actually pot up my phals along with these plants into one larger container, but I go to great lengths to suit the growing area to the orchid's needs first and foremost. This entails a variety of things, from drilling extra drainage holes into the large decorative container, to making sure the supporting plants' roots are contained in their own pots, so they don't choke out the orchid's roots.

If you're not potting them up together, though, you won't have to worry about all that.

I grow mine with a Dracaena marginata, Hoya shooting star, two noid Schlumbergera hybrids, Chlorophytum comosum (Spider plant) and Ficus maclelandii alii.

All of them are in our dining area near our west facing window and north facing sliding doors, and I run the ceiling fans after watering. Each plant to its own container.

Slipper orchids? :)

Definitely Paphiopedilum

Oxalis