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Orchidaceae
Chinese Ground Orchid
Bletilla striata
Quiet exoticism, hardy elegance, Asian grace.
- Family
- Orchidaceae
- Genus
- Bletilla
- Native to
- China, Japan, Korea
- Bloom season
- Spring, Early-Summer
- Type
- Hardy terrestrial orchid
- Height
- 30–60 cm (12–24 in)
- Sunlight
- Part shade
- Soil
- Rich, moist, well-drained
- Water
- Moderate
- Hardiness
- 5–9
- Lifespan
- Long-lived perennial
Did you know
- Bletilla is the only orchid most North American gardeners can grow in the ground without any special care—it's hardy down to zone 5 and naturalizes in shade beds.
- Each magenta flower is a perfect miniature orchid, with all the classic orchid structure (lip, column, sepals, petals) but on a tough, easy-to-grow temperate plant.
- The roots have been used in traditional Chinese medicine for over 1,000 years to treat lung complaints and stop bleeding—they contain mucilage compounds with proven wound-healing properties.
- Bletilla was one of the first orchids ever cultivated in China, with records of its garden use going back to the Tang Dynasty (618–907 CE).
- A single plant can spread into a clump of dozens of stems over 5–6 years, producing 100+ flowers each spring—a long-lived, slowly-creeping orchid garden in the woodland.
Color meanings
0
quiet exoticism
1
hardy elegance
2
Asian grace