A Foolproof Orchid

James Watson tells how three hobbyists grow the jewel orchid Ludisia discolor¹

The jewel orchid Ludisia discolor contradicts the myth that orchids are not grown for their foliage. This adaptable terrestrial dazzles the eye year round with its colorful lustrous leaves. And when ready to bloom, the plant explodes with 12-inch-tall sprays of white flowers.

Ludisia discolor shatters another myth: Orchids can be grown only in certain regions because of their specific cultural needs. Not so with Lds. discolor. This tough plant will thrive in a greenhouse in the Pacific Northwest yet also reward the grower with lush growth in a Hawaiian garden, where it can be cultivated in a container or planted in the landscape.

It is equally at home indoors. "It's wonderful as a houseplant because of its beautiful foliage," says Rita Cohen, proprietor of Orchid Art in New York and chair of the AOS Northeast Judging Center. "When Linda Yang wrote about this plant in the New York Times several years ago, she listed four vendors as sources who rapidly went through a couple of hundred plants while filling orders. Two years later, people were still calling for them."

At Home Under Lights
For Cohen, Lds. discolor's needs are met in a light garden where the plants are set on the floor next to the light stand. Here, the rich leafy colors are more intense than on those plants set directly beneath the tubes. "When the plants are given too much light, they bleach out. Likewise, shade seems to intensify the foliage color of another jewel orchid called Macodes," says Cohen. Her Lds. discolor shares the floor with the company of ferns in these low-light conditions.

Ludisia discolor is potted in a mixture of ProMix to which some perlite is added. Says Cohen, "The plants like to be kept damp, but not sopping wet." Because Lds. discolor is grown for its foliage, it is fertilized sparingly. A temperature of 58 to 60 F is maintained both night and day.

Fortunately for growers, the plants are almost insect and disease free. However, when mealybugs invade, the plants are washed with warm soapy water or rubbed with alcohol.

Propagating Lds. discolor is a snap. When Cohen needs more to meet customer demand, she breaks off a piece of the pencil-thick brittle rhizome and then pins it on the top of some potting mix in a small container. Kept damp, the cuttings root quickly, and soon Cohen is ready to spark another orchidist's enthusiasm for Lds. discolor.

Life Under Glass
Ludisia discolor also makes a pretty picture in natural light, whether on the windowsill or in a greenhouse. Mary Davidson Dunnell of Seattle, Washington, recalls her first encounter. "When we first saw it, we thought it was an exotic tradescantia. Then, discovering what it really was, we began growing it like a rhizomatous begonia in our glass greenhouse," says Dunnell, a longtime member of the American Orchid Society who served as president from 1990 to 1992. Her potting mix contains a bit of everything - vermiculite, perlite, soilless potting mix, fine bark and tree-fern fiber. The plants, which are grown in 4-inch pots, are watered when the top of the soil is dry, and they are rarely fertilized.

Says Dunnell, "I treat this plant like a begonia, not an orchid." Her plants of Lds. discolor, which grow in the shade cast by begonias, marantas, ferns and aroids, are kept neatly trimmed in their plastic vessels. However, if the stems reached the greenhouse floor they would probably grow like a groundcover.

Ludisia discolor makes a great gift, too. Says Dunnell, "We gave one to a friend and she is growing it in a bathroom with a skylight, where it blooms all the time."

Suited to the Tropics
At Fairchild Tropical Garden in Miami, Florida, Lds. discolor is grown in 10-inch-wide shallow clay pots like those used for bulbs and epiphytic orchids. Says Conservatory Horticulturist Craig Allen, "I use a mix of one third perlite, one third peat moss and one third Aliflor, baked-clay pellets that are a substitute for tree fern. To each pot I add 1-1/2 tablespoons of cow manure and 1/2 tablespoon of bone meal." When he repots, which is once a year, Allen often divides each clump in half and centers each division in a new container.

The plants are watered three times weekly and fertilized once a week with Dyna-Gro. Allen echoes Cohen's advice: Although Lds. discolor can be watered often, it will not tolerate a soggy medium.

Allen, who has worked at Fairchild for 13 years, sets the containers on plastic-slat benches (for air circulation) outdoors under 50 percent shade cloth. When a cold night is forecast, the plants are brought into the greenhouse until the threat of chilly temperatures passes.

Ludisia discolor is a hot item at the garden's sales. "We have a different form that has an almost black velvety color with a gold center vein, which is popular with our members. It is more difficult to grow than the regular type, taking longer to fill a container, and its leaves are not as large," says Allen.

Basics
Ludisia discolor (loo-DISS-ee-uh DIS-kol-or) is still often sold in nurseries and referred to in books under the older name of Haemaria discolor.

This terrestrial species is native to Southern China and Myanmar to Indonesia.

Ludisia dicolor is commonly called a jewel orchid, which refers to the quality of the leaves. Other genera of orchids also referred to as jewel orchids include Macodes and Anoectochilus.

The culture is remarkably easy for this orchid that remains attractive year round. Pot in a clay or plastic container filled with a basic houseplant mix, such as that recommended for African violets. Place in a well-lit window with other houseplants and orchids or set a plant in your greenhouse. Water to keep the soil moist, perhaps twice a week, remembering to adjust your watering schedule as the seasons change. Fertilize with a balanced plant food regularly. Keep temperatures above 50 F year round, avoiding excessively high temperatures in the summer. - James Watson

 

Rooting Stems in Water

Unlike many orchids, Ludisia discolor is a terrestrial and it is usually grown in a potting mix; one recommended for African violets works well. I found that I can also grow this plant in water. This was not planned but as I was moving my plants to their outdoor location in June I broke off a couple of stems accidentally. The stems of this orchid are fleshy, turgid, similar to those of some begonias. Having rooted begonias in water, I placed the Ludisia stems in a glass mustard jar filled with water. I placed the jar on my kitchen windowsill (north exposure with a large skylight above). Over the weeks and months, roots formed. No food was added. It was only necessary to add water as needed to maintain a constant level. By December, inflorescences began and eventually burst into bloom. The blooms lasted about two months and in March I cut off the spent blossoms and potted the plants, which are now putting out vegetative side shoots and growing well. - Charles Zill, DOS, 2350 Washtenaw Avenue, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104.

Ludisia discolor in bloom at the AOS Botanical Garden.

 

Republished from Orchids magazine, July 1997

 

1) See our extensive series on jewel orchids by Leon Glicenstein, PhD, which began in the November, 2009 issue of Orchids magazine.