Peacock Orchids

Scientific classification of Peacock Orchids:

Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Liliopsida
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Epidendroideae
Tribe: Coelogyneae
Subtribe: Coelogyninae
Genus: Pleione
Family Iridaceae
Genus: Gladiolus
Species: Gladiolus callianthus

Peacock Orchids, or Gladiolus callianthus, produce beautiful hooded white flowers that flare out with maroon blotches and have a lovely fragrance. They were previously called Acidanthera bicolor or Acidanthera murielae and also known as Abyssinian Sword Lily, Abyssinian Star or Fragrant Gladiolus.

Origin: They originated in East Africa.
Flowering Season: Peacock Orchids bloom in mid-summer to fall.
Size of the plant: Approximately 60cm in height and 20- 30cm in width.
Speed of multiplication: Approximately 20 weeks are required to flower. Thick clumps are formed in 3-4 years.
Lighting: Sunlight or light shade.
Uses: They are used as cut flowers, garden fragrance, attractive foliage, beds, borders, etc.
Water Requirements: A well drained, friable soil is ideal. Natural rainfall is sufficient but water should be supplemented during dry spells.
Fertilizers: Dig ground over with animal compost or a commercial product before planting.
Lifting and storage – Can be either left in the ground to form abundant clumps, or be lifted and stored late autumn in a dry, airy place until replanting in winter or spring. All lifted corms must be dried quickly to avoid soft rot.
Pests: None.
Temperature: They grow well in Zones 6 and warmer areas.

Peacock orchids are a small group of beautiful, mainly terrestrial, but at times epiphytic or lithophytic miniature orchids. This genus of orchids was named after Pleione, the mother of the Pleiades in Greek mythology and it comprises of about 20 species. Peacock orchids are distributed in the mountains and foothills of the Himalayas, India, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and China. They can adapt well to cold temperatures and even frost but a few prefer a warm climate. They grow in well-drained habitats and on rocks covered with moss at an altitude between 600 to 4200 meters.

Peacock orchids have a large, spongy, globular or ampliform pseudo-bulbs that are narrowed at the apex. A pseudo-bulb is active only for one year and they drop off before winter. The pseudo-bulb remains dormant till a new one starts to develop. The flowers originate from the top of the pseudo-bulb.

Peacock orchids can easily be grown by a layman, being easy to propagate which makes them among the most popular orchids. They are quite in demand for hybridization.

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