Ornamental · Orchidaceae
Ground Orchid
Bletilla striata
A hardy orchid that lives right in the garden soil, throwing up pink blooms every spring.
Partial shade
Every 3–7 days
USDA 5–9
12–24 in · 30–60 cm
Overview
The ground orchid is the orchid for people who think orchids are out of reach. It grows in ordinary garden soil from small underground corms, comes back on its own each year, and asks for very little. Most springs it sends up pleated, almost bamboo-like leaves and then a slim stem of magenta-pink flowers that look every bit as exotic as their tropical cousins.
It's far tougher than its delicate looks suggest. The plant is hardy to roughly USDA zone 5, dying back to the ground each fall and re-emerging when the soil warms. Give it humus-rich, well-drained soil and a spot in dappled shade or morning sun, and a single clump slowly spreads into a generous patch over a few seasons.
Once it's settled, the main job is leaving it alone. Keep it watered through the growing season, let it go dry and dormant over winter, and split the clump every few years to keep the flowers coming.
Care
The short version: plant it in rich, well-drained soil in partial shade, keep it moist through spring and summer, and let the corms rest dry over winter. Divide the clump every few years and it will reward you with pink blooms each spring.
Light
Ground orchids do best in partial shade, the kind of dappled light or gentle morning sun you find at a woodland edge. They will take more sun, even full sun, as long as the soil stays moist. Deep, heavy shade is the one thing they won't flower well in.
Water
Keep the soil evenly moist through spring and summer while the plant is in active growth, checking it every 3 to 7 days. Once the foliage yellows and dies back, ease off and let the dormant corms ride out winter on the dry side. Soggy winter soil is the fastest way to rot them.
Soil
Plant in humus-rich, well-drained loam with plenty of organic matter worked in. A pH anywhere from 5.5 to 7.0 suits them, so most garden soil is close enough. Sharp drainage is the part that really counts, especially heading into the cold months.
Temperature
This is a cold-hardy orchid, comfortable across a wide range from about -13°F to 86°F (-25°C to 30°C). The top growth dies down with the first hard frosts, but the corms sit out winter underground and push up again in spring.
Humidity
Average humidity, somewhere around 40% to 60%, is all they ask, and outdoor air usually provides it without any help. There's no misting or fussing needed here.
Feeding
Feed monthly through spring and summer while the plant is growing, using a balanced general-purpose fertilizer. Stop once the foliage starts to fade in fall, since a dormant plant has no use for it.
Pruning
There's barely any pruning to do. Snip off the spent flower stalks once the blooms fade, and cut the dead foliage back in late fall after it has yellowed. That's the whole job.
Repotting
A clump can sit happily for 3 to 4 years before it needs attention. When the pseudobulbs start crowding above the soil, flowering tails off, or the center of the clump goes bare, it's time to lift and divide. That reset doubles as your chance to make more plants.
Size & spacing
Plants reach 12 to 24 inches (30 to 60 cm) tall and spread 12 to 18 inches (30 to 45 cm) wide. Set divisions about that far apart so each clump has room to fill out without crowding its neighbors.
When to plant
Set ground orchids out in early spring, just as the soil starts to warm and the corms break dormancy. The flowers follow in late spring, usually across May and June, and the foliage carries on through summer before dying back for winter.
Northern hemisphere
Southern hemisphere
Typical months for a temperate climate: start earlier in warm zones, later where spring frosts linger.
- Plant: early spring
- Harvest: late spring (May to June)
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones: 5–9
Temperature: down to -29°C
Troubleshooting
Ground orchids run into few problems, and the ones they do are easy to read. Most trace back to wet winter soil, a slug or two, or a clump that has simply grown too crowded. Match what you see below and act while it's still a small fix.
Shoots that fail to appear in spring or rot at the base
This is pseudobulb rot, almost always caused by soil that stays wet through winter while the corms sit dormant. Cold can also kill unmulched corms in the colder zones. Lift a corm and check it: firm pale flesh is fine, soft brown mush is not. Replant only the healthy ones in fast-draining soil and mulch the bed before the next cold spell.
Fix:
- Lift and discard rotted corms, replant healthy firm pseudobulbs in fast-draining amended soil
- Improve drainage by incorporating grit or planting in a raised bed
Healthy leaves but few or no flowers
When the leaves look fine yet the blooms don't come, the clump is usually overcrowded or sitting in too much shade. Dig down and you'll find the pseudobulbs packed tight against one another. Split the clump in early spring to wake it back up, and move it somewhere it can catch morning sun or dappled light.
Fix:
- Divide congested clumps in early spring to reinvigorate flowering
- Relocate to a site with morning sun or dappled light
Ragged holes chewed through leaves and flowers
Slugs and snails are the culprits, and they go after the soft new growth as it pushes up in spring. Go out at dusk or just after rain and you'll find them, along with the slime trails they leave behind. Pick them off by hand and ring the emerging shoots with a barrier or bait.
Fix:
- Hand-pick slugs and snails in the evening
- Use barriers or appropriate slug controls around emerging shoots
Toxicity
Good news for households with pets and children: the ground orchid is non-toxic and safe. Orchids as a group carry nothing harmful, and there's no poison in the leaves, flowers, or corms. The worst a nibble might bring is a mild, passing stomach upset, the same as overdoing it on any plant.
Safe for
People · Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds
Cats None
Safe for cats. A curious cat that nibbles a leaf might get a little drooly or queasy, but that's true of almost any houseplant and nothing about this orchid is poisonous.
Dogs None
Safe for dogs. There's no toxin to worry about here, though a dog that bolts down a big mouthful of foliage could have a brief stomach upset from the roughage alone.
Horses Safe
No concern for horses. The plant carries nothing harmful, so a grazing nibble won't cause any trouble.
Rabbits Safe
Fine around rabbits. The leaves and corms hold no toxin, so a stray bite is harmless.
Livestock Safe
Safe for cattle, goats, and sheep. Nothing in the foliage poses a poisoning risk to grazing animals.
Birds Safe
No danger to birds. Pet or backyard birds can share a room with this orchid without any worry.
People Safe
Harmless to people, including children. It isn't grown to be eaten, but a stray taste won't hurt anyone.
No special handling precautions are needed, though as with any plant, ingestion of large amounts may cause mild stomach upset.
Varieties
Beyond the common pink form, a few named selections are worth seeking out for their color or vigor. These are the ones you'll run across most often.
'Alba'
It trades the usual magenta-pink for pure white flowers.
var. albostriata
Its leaves carry creamy white edges and stripes, so the foliage earns its keep even out of bloom.
'Big Bob'
A vigorous pick that stands taller and stockier with noticeably larger flowers.
How to propagate
Ground orchids are simple to multiply, and you don't need seed or any special skill. A mature clump hands you new plants every spring, either by splitting it apart or lifting off its offset corms.
DivisionEasy
Early spring before or as new growth emerges · One growing season
Division is the usual way to make more, and early spring is the moment, just before or as the new shoots break ground. Lift the whole clump and pull it apart so every piece keeps at least one healthy pseudobulb with a live growth eye, then get them back in the ground right away. Each division settles in and takes hold over a single growing season.
Bulbs & cormsEasy
Early spring · One growing season
You can also spread a planting by working off the offset corms. In early spring, snap the offset pseudobulbs free from the parent clump and replant them at the same depth they sat before. Give them a growing season and they'll establish into new clumps of their own.
Myths
All orchids are fussy tropical plants that must live indoors.
Plenty of orchids are tender, but this one is a hardy terrestrial species grown right in the garden. It survives winters down to about USDA zone 5, dying back to the ground in fall and pushing up fresh in spring.
Orchids are parasites that feed off trees and harm them.
Ground orchids like this one root in the soil and make all their own food through their leaves. They take nothing from other plants, growing instead from pseudobulb-like corms just under the surface.