Common name: Boat Orchid
Botanical name: Cymbidium Orchid
Season: Winter
These winter orchids are available in a fantastic range of multifaceted single and bi colours including reds, yellow, green, ivory, and my all time favourite bronze! Known for their amazing longevity (a potted bloom can last up to ten weeks and a cut bloom up to three weeks), these waxy textured orchids can withstand extreme cold temperatures and are beautiful as cut flowers and potted plants. As cut flowers it is best to purchase or choose a stem of full open blooms as the buds are most likely not going to open.
As a potted plant they can thrive indoors but a good source of light and good drainage is highly recommended. To encourage flowering avoid over watering and a show of dark green leaves can indicate that the orchid is sitting in too much shade.
Cymbidium orchids are among the oldest horticultural orchids in the world. They were mentioned in a manuscript from the Chin dynasty in China, about two hundred years before Christ and even Confucius mentions them, calling them the king of fragrant flowers.
