Dendrophylax lindenii
There are a couple of crops on this planet that seize the creativeness, encourage intense followings, characteristic prominently in artwork, and have books written about them.
Ghost orchids are a few of these varieties of crops.
The ghost orchid (Dendrophylax lindenii) was the main target of Susan Orlean’s best-selling e book “The Orchid Thief” and the film adaptation that starred Meryl Streep.
Lovers obsessively watch and observe these crops with distant cameras, eagerly anticipating their bloom cycles.
These are crops that encourage, shock, and delight anybody who will get to know them.
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I’m not going to lie, this isn’t a plant for the newbie and even intermediate grower.
Making an attempt to domesticate ghost orchids is unquestionably a sophisticated undertaking and even skilled orchidists wrestle.
On this information we’ll focus on some rising suggestions, however we’ll focus totally on studying extra about these distinctive crops and the place you’ll be able to see these endangered species of their pure habitat.
Right here’s the lineup:
What Are Ghost Orchids?
Dendrophylax lindenii (previously categorised as Aeranthes lindenii, Polyradicion lindenii, and Polyrrhiza lindenii), the notorious ghost orchids, are extraordinarily uncommon crops.
As with many different orchids, they’re epiphytes, which suggests they develop connected to different crops, often bushes.
They aren’t parasites and so they don’t draw vitamins from the plant they dwell on, they only use it as a assist base.
A part of the Epidendroideae subfamily of orchids, D. lindenii have skinny, slim stems, and their leaves hardly appear to exist in any respect. What’s left is a fantastic white orchid flower that appears to drift across the trunks of bushes in tropical climates.
The flower is very aromatic, with a fruity, apple-like scent. Every bloom has an higher dorsal sepal, two facet petals, two decrease sepals, and a labellum on the base.
It’s the labellum that makes these crops so distinctive. They’re comprised of two lengthy tendrils that twist and twirl. Generally, they seem like the legs of a leaping frog.
The flowers are pretty petite, at as much as one and a half inches broad and three and a half inches lengthy.
That comes as a shock to folks after they see this plant for the primary time, since in images they have an inclination to look a bit larger than they really are.
The plant technically has leaves, however they’re small, scale-like growths which are hardly even noticeable until you get proper up shut.
When not in bloom, the plant appears to be like like a mass of greenish-brown-gray roots clinging to the tree. These chlorophyllous roots really photosynthesize within the absence of the leaves.
The roots have white streaks referred to as pneumatodes, which trade oxygen and carbon in an analogous method to the leaves on most crops.
Every root is encased in a velamen, which absorbs vitamins and water for the orchid.
D. lindenii begins blooming within the late spring and flowers final by means of mid-summer, although they’ll bloom outdoors of this era after they’re in the appropriate temper.
Every raceme has as much as ten flowers, with just one open at a time and lasting for as much as two weeks.
The plant can have quite a few racemes, so every plant can have a bunch of ghosts floating round at a time.
Don’t confuse D. lindenii with the British ghost orchid (Epipogium aphyllum).
The latter is a terrestrial orchid that was considered extinct in Britain however a specimen was just lately found rising within the wild in 2024.
Cultivation and Historical past
Ghost orchids have been first found in Cuba by a Belgian plant collector named Jules Linden in 1844. They’re additionally native to southern Florida and different elements of the Caribbean.
In Florida, they’re often discovered on pond apples (Annona glabra), bald cypress, Florida buttonwood, varied palms, and pop ash bushes (Fraxinus carolinianas).
In contrast to chicken’s-nest orchids which you’ll be able to’t develop at residence, it’s technically potential to domesticate D. lindenii, but it surely’s very laborious. Even specialists wrestle to maintain them alive.
That’s partially as a result of these crops develop in a symbiotic relationship with species of helpful fungi within the Thelophoraceae household.
In addition they depend on native pollinators just like the fig sphinx moth (Pachylia ficus), large sphinx moth (Cocytius antaeus), gaudy sphinx (Eumorpha labruscae), streaked sphinx (Protambulyx shigilis), and different hawkmoths.
So it’s not generally seen in cultivation.
Sadly, D. lindenii is endangered in its native vary. In Florida, there are most likely solely about 1,500 specimens left, with about 500 in Cuba.
Of these remaining within the wild, lower than half appear to have the ability to reproduce, indicating that the situations aren’t proper for copy.
Followers observe the blooming of the “tremendous” ghost orchid in Audubon’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary.
It was first noticed in 2007 and since then it has carried out 12 months after 12 months with as much as 40 blossoms per season. It even places out flowers all 12 months lengthy, to the delight of followers.
Orchid lovers celebrated when a specimen being cultivated on the Kew Botanical Gardens lastly bloomed in 2023.
Whereas it’s unlawful to take them from the wild, there’s not a lot level in doing so anyway, as a result of the crops not often survive. Nevertheless, their numbers are nonetheless being decimated by poachers persevering with to steal them.
That’s to not say that there aren’t sellers on the market with specimens that have been legally propagated, so remember to do your analysis prior to creating any buy.
As talked about it’s not simple to domesticate ghost orchids as they require very particular situations to thrive, however I’ll present an outline of tips on how to develop these crops in case you are eager for a problem.
The place to Purchase
Be completely certain that you just’re shopping for a plant from a good vendor who isn’t promoting poached specimens.
There are many specialists propagating through tissue tradition on the market, so it’s completely potential to purchase a younger plant from an orchid specialist.
Keep away from buying seeds. They’re most likely not the actual factor and rising orchids from seed is hard to start with, not to mention making an attempt to develop one thing like D. lindenii.
To get your palms on a plant, try orchid specialists or attain out to your native orchid society.
They will level you in the appropriate course and can most likely know the respected sellers in your area, if there are any.
The way to Develop Ghost Orchids
Rising a ghost orchid isn’t an endeavor for the start or perhaps a reasonably skilled orchid grower.
Ideally, you’ll have expertise cultivating mounted orchids, as a result of these completely received’t survive in a bark combination in a pot.
And it’s vital to notice that crops can take as much as 15 years to mature and flower, even within the wild, so this isn’t a undertaking that gives immediate gratification.
I’ll add that I by no means wish to discourage a gardener from making an attempt to develop something. Everybody has their strengths and weaknesses in the case of rising crops.
If you’re prepared to strive one thing and settle for that you just would possibly fail a couple of instances earlier than you get it proper, I say go for it!
I can’t develop a Boston fern to avoid wasting my life, whereas all my mates inform me it’s their best houseplant.
However I can make a maidenhair fern flourish, whereas many gardeners say it’s their most difficult houseplant.
It’s not that I’m magically gifted, I simply occur to have the appropriate situations and the appropriately heavy watering hand for maidenhairs. However clearly, I lack the power to make a Boston fern comfortable.
When you have by no means saved a moth orchid (Phalaenopsis spp.) for greater than a 12 months, that doesn’t imply you received’t have the appropriate mixture to develop ghost orchids. Attempt it out!
You want a spot with temperatures of about 65°F at evening and 85°F throughout the day. Absolutely the minimal acceptable nighttime temperature is 60°F and the minimal throughout the day is 75°F.
If temperatures climb to 90°F or greater, it’s time to open the home windows, vent the greenhouse, activate the AC, or no matter else you are able to do to alleviate the warmth.
All year long, ghost orchids want excessive humidity to thrive. Take into consideration the situations of a boggy or swampy space in southern Florida. It’s muggy. Your rising space ought to be, too.
For those who don’t have this naturally, you’ll must recreate it. A small mist humidifier received’t work.
You want one thing massive sufficient to humidify your complete rising area and to maintain that humidity fixed with out dips and surges.
The area ought to be saved persistently between 65 to 85 p.c humidity, however for those who can program your humidifier, let it drop to the decrease finish throughout the day and as much as the upper finish at evening.
This occurs naturally in nature, as a result of because the temperatures rise the humidity usually drops.
Bonus factors for those who use an ultrasonic humidifier that produces high-quality water particles somewhat than massive ones.
You’ll want to make use of a fan within the area to assist flow into the air and stop fungal points.
By now, you’re most likely considering that this isn’t a plant that’s excellent for the common family situations, and also you’re proper.
Most orchid specialists develop D. lindenii in a greenhouse in order that they’ll create the precise situations the crops require.
Most of us don’t have the appropriate situations in our properties and to achieve success might want to assemble a particular rising space.
Your plant will must be mounted on hickory or different furrowed bark wooden. You wish to discover a piece of wooden that has plenty of channels and crevices, that’s a part of the key to holding ghost orchids comfortable.
The channels within the wooden assist defend the roots and provides them area to remain humid and funky. For those who use a flat piece of wooden, the roots can be extra uncovered.
You don’t want to make use of a big piece. Something about twice the dimensions of the plant you’re beginning with is ok, however there may be nothing incorrect with going larger.
For those who do all the pieces proper, your plant will develop large, with roots crawling as much as two ft in each instructions, so that you don’t wish to be always reattaching them.
When you’ve gotten chosen the wooden, use cyanoacrylate adhesive like Gorilla or Krazy glue to very fastidiously affix the roots to the wooden. Solely glue the elements of the roots that contact the wooden, don’t cowl the highest of sides.
It’s best to glue the roots into the channels of the bark to recreate the situations the plant would naturally develop in. You’re mainly doing the attachment work that the specimen would do by itself over the course of a number of years.
Lastly within the mounting course of, you wish to stick Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides) on high of the roots.
Tuck the Spanish moss over and in between roots, in the event that they’re accessible. You may glue this, too, or safe it utilizing twine or one thing comparable.
It’s vital to buy or discover dwell Spanish moss, not ornamental useless moss.
My guess is that dwell moss helps as a result of it comprises helpful goodies that assist the orchid survive, however there’s no particular analysis to inform us precisely why it helps.
Within the wild, D. lindenii develop with their roots tucked into the moss on the tree, so that they clearly have a symbiotic relationship, and scientists are presently learning the connection.
The dwell moss will even inform you if the situations are proper in your plant. It may be a guessing recreation to find out for those who’re giving a specimen with no leaves and solely uncommon flowers the situations it must thrive.
Because the moss likes an analogous setting as ghost orchids, if it appears to be doing properly, your orchid will hopefully thrive, too.
When you’ve mounted your plant, it ought to be saved in brilliant, oblique gentle or dappled daylight and the humid situations described above.
In a greenhouse, cowl the rising space with 35 to 50 p.c shade material. The day size ought to be about 12 to 14 hours, so that you would possibly want supplemental lighting throughout the shorter winter months.
Maintain the roots moist throughout the vast majority of the 12 months. The roots of mature crops must be allowed to dry out a bit simply earlier than flowering.
You’ll wish to water them as soon as per week or much less throughout December, January, and February so the moss simply begins to dry out. As soon as the flower stems begin to develop, you’ll be able to return to watering usually.
Now, take a touch from bonsai growers and purchase some rapeseed desserts.
These are long-lasting sources of fertilizer that recreate the sort of feeding these orchids would expertise within the wild as particles rains down on them from the cover of the tree.
Set or wire a cake or two on the high of the moss in order that while you water, the vitamins will likely be washed down into the moss for the roots to entry.
You could find rapeseed desserts in packets of six from Bonsai Boy.
Change the desserts each six months.
It will possibly take as much as 15 years for D. lindenii to mature, even within the wild, so a number of persistence is required. Within the meantime you’ll be tending to what’s actually simply a big mass of roots.
Because the roots develop and unfold, you’ll must preserve including dwell Spanish moss to cowl them.
With all these situations in place and when the crops are mature sufficient, you need to see flowers within the spring.
Observing Ghost Orchids within the Wild
If you wish to discover D. lindenii within the wild, it’s potential, however keep in mind to take solely images, and go away the wild specimens alone.
Actually, you may not even wish to inform anybody the place you noticed them, to keep away from tipping off poachers.
Proper now, conservationists are petitioning to make the ghost orchid protected beneath the Endangered Species Act within the US.
D. lindenii is already protected beneath native state legal guidelines, so don’t try to gather any a part of the plant as that is strictly prohibited. Two folks have been caught and prosecuted in 2022.
D. lindenii is already beneath sufficient menace from habitat loss and local weather change, they want all of the assist they’ll get.
With so many tissue-cultured propagules on the market, the wild specimens aren’t even value that a lot cash any extra.
I’m passionate concerning the safety of endangered species, so please do your finest to make sure that their setting is left alone as a lot as potential.
In Florida, these crops are recognized to develop in Audubon’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, the Massive Cypress Nationwide Protect, Fakahatchee Strand Protect State Park, and the Florida Panther Nationwide Wildlife Refuge.
They will also be present in different conservation areas in southern Florida and in some tribal areas in Collier and Hendry counties.
There are rumors that they are often present in Lee county, however D. lindenii hasn’t been undoubtedly documented within the space. For those who discover some, remember to let the South Florida Orchid Society know!
Put on your hip waders since you’ll be slogging by means of the muck, and use a GPS locator and ensure you inform your loved ones or mates the place you’ll be exploring.
Familiarize your self with the hazards within the space, carry plenty of water, and your digicam!
For those who discover a cluster of roots that you just suspect may very well be a ghost orchid, but it surely lacks blossoms, take a look at the roots a bit extra carefully.
The silver or white strains alongside the roots ought to tip you off that that is possible a ghost. Different epiphytic species within the space don’t have the silver line.
Legendary, Magical, However Not Spooky
Ghost orchids are fascinating. Whether or not you wish to strive your hand at rising one or to verify them out of their native habitat, you’re experiencing a plant that has impressed artists, hobbyists, specialists, and even essentially the most informal plant fan.
When you have had any success rising ghost orchids, would you please share your experiences and images within the feedback part under? We’d like to see your setup and successes so we will share with different lovers!
Need to be taught extra about rising and caring for orchids? Possibly find out about some that aren’t so difficult to take care of? We’ve obtained you lined! Try a couple of of our different guides subsequent: