Phalaenopsis Orchid

Flower care guide

Phalaenopsis Orchid

The wide, softly rounded orchid most people picture when they hear the word. Sold as a cut stem and as a living plant, and elegant in both forms.

In season

Year round.

Also known as

Moth orchid, phal

Caring for your phalaenopsis

As a cut stem. Recut at an angle, use room-temperature water and change it every four days. Keep the stem out of drafts and mist the blooms lightly every couple of days.

As a living plant. This is where most phalaenopsis go wrong, and the mistake is almost always too much water. Water thoroughly once a week at most, let it drain completely, and never leave the pot sitting in a saucer of water. Roots that stay wet rot, and a rotted root system kills the plant faster than neglect ever would.

Give it bright indirect light, not direct sun. An east-facing window is close to ideal.

When the last flower drops, do not throw the plant away. Cut the flower spike back to just above the second node from the bottom and it will often send out a new spike and flower again.

A phalaenopsis plant flowers for a long stretch, and will often bloom again from the same stem if you cut it back to a node.