Bletilla: Country Or Region Of Origin
Northern Indo-China to Temp. E. Asia
Plant Profile: Bletilla
Taxonomy: BletillaNames
Chinese Ground Orchid, Hardy Orchid
Phonetic Spelling:bleh-TIL-ah
Genus:Bletilla
Species:
Family:Orchidaceae
This orchid, which has a semi-hard texture, can thrive in garden beds, borders, or containers. In the spring, plant the corm-like pseudobulbs at a depth of 4 inches. Once the flowering period is over, maintain consistent moisture until the foliage begins to wither. In colder regions, it is essential to apply mulch during the winter months.
Be vigilant for pests such as aphids, whiteflies, and mealybugs.
Tags
#showy flowers
#perennial bulb
#purple flowers
#spring flowers
#orchid
#partial shade tolerant
#container plants
Similar Plants
Bletilla Feature Summary
Attributes
Northern Indo-China to Temp. E. Asia
Store corms in moist peat at 32-35 degrees F (0-2 degrees C)
Bulb
Flowers
Produces small cattleya-like pink-purple blooms in racemes of up to 12 blooms. Blooms a 2 inches wide.
Pink
Purple/Lavender
White
Red/Burgundy
Raceme
Spring
4-5 petals/rays
Tubular
1-3 inches
Leaves
Produces 3-5 upright, pleated, sword-shaped leaves up to 12 inches long.
Deciduous
Green
Simple
Opposite
Linear
Entire
> 6 inches
Whole Plant Traits
Bulb
Deciduous
Erect
Medium
Medium
Cultural Conditions
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Good Drainage
Less than 12 inches
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
5b
5a
6a
6b
7a
7b
8b
8a
9a
9b
High Organic Matter
Stem
Landscape
Bletilla Image Gallery
Bletilla Attributes
Bletilla: Bulb Storage
Store corms in moist peat at 32-35 degrees F (0-2 degrees C)
Bletilla: Life Cycle
Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody
Bletilla: Recommended Propagation Strategy
Division
Grafting
Layering
Leaf Cutting
Root Cutting
Seed
Stem Cutting
Bletilla Flowers
Bletilla: Flower Description
Produces small cattleya-like pink-purple blooms in racemes of up to 12 blooms. Blooms a 2 inches wide.
Bletilla: Flower Color
Pink
Purple/Lavender
Red/Burgundy
White
Bletilla: Flower Inflorescence
Catkin
Corymb
Cyme
Head
Insignificant
Panicle
Raceme
Solitary
Spadix
Spike
Umbel
Bletilla: Flower Value To Gardener
Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy
Bletilla: Flower Bloom Time
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Bletilla: Flower Petals
2-3 rays/petals
4-5 petals/rays
6 petals/rays
7 - 20 petals/rays
asymmetrical petals
Bracts
Colored Sepals
fused petals
more than 20 petals/rays
Tepals
Bletilla: Flower Shape
Bell
Cross
Crown
Cup
Dome
Funnel
Irregular
Lipped
Radial
Saucer
Star
Trumpet
Tubular
Urn
Wheel
Bletilla: Flower Size
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
< 1 inch
> 6 inches
Bletilla Leaves
Bletilla: Leaf Description
Produces 3-5 upright, pleated, sword-shaped leaves up to 12 inches long.
Bletilla: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Bletilla: Leaf Color
Green
Bletilla: Leaf Type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple
Bletilla: Leaf Arrangement
Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled
Bletilla: Leaf Shape
Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate
Bletilla: Leaf Margin
Crenate
Crenulate
Dentate
Denticulate
Doubly Crenate
Doubly Dentate
Doubly Serrate
Entire
Lobed
Serrate
Sinuate
Undulate
Bletilla: Hairs Present
No
Yes
Bletilla: Leaf Length
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches
Bletilla: Leaf Value To Gardener
Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long-lasting
Showy
Bletilla Whole Plant Traits
Bletilla: Plant Type
Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower
Bletilla: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Bletilla: Habit/Form
Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping
Bletilla: Growth Rate
Slow
Medium
Rapid
Bletilla: Maintenance
Low
Medium
High
Bletilla Cultural Conditions
Bletilla: Light
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Bletilla: Soil Drainage
Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry
Bletilla: Available Space To Plant
12 inches-3 feet
12-24 feet
24-60 feet
3 feet-6 feet
6-feet-12 feet
Less than 12 inches
more than 60 feet
Bletilla: NC Region
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
Bletilla: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone
5a
5b
6a
6b
7a
7b
8a
8b
9a
9b
Bletilla: Soil Texture
Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky
Bletilla Stem
Bletilla: Stem Is Aromatic
No
Yes
Bletilla Landscape
Bletilla: Landscape Theme
Asian Garden
Butterfly Garden
Children's Garden
Cottage Garden
Cutting Garden
Drought Tolerant Garden
Edible Garden
English Garden
Fairy Garden
Garden for the Blind
Native Garden
Nighttime Garden
Pollinator Garden
Rain Garden
Rock Garden
Shade Garden
Water Garden
Winter Garden
Bletilla: Design Feature
Accent
Barrier
Border
Flowering Tree
Foundation Planting
Hedge
Mass Planting
Screen/Privacy
Security
Shade Tree
Small groups
Small Tree
Specimen
Street Tree
Understory Tree
Bletilla: Landscape Location
Coastal
Container
Hanging Baskets
Houseplants
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Near Septic
Patio
Pond
Pool/Hardscape
Recreational Play Area
Riparian
Rock Wall
Slope/Bank
Small Space
Vertical Spaces
Walkways
Woodland
