About
Bletilla striata 'Albostriata' is a terrestrial orchid that loses its leaves in the winter. It features elongated, pleated green foliage, reaching lengths of up to 30 cm, with distinctive white margins. During the transition from late spring to early summer, it produces clusters of 3 to 7 flowers on stalks that can grow to 50 cm in height, displaying a pinkish-purple hue.
About the genus
Bletilla are terrestrial perennial orchids that lose their leaves in the fall. They feature tuberous pseudobulbs and have ribbed, linear to lanceolate foliage. The flowers are arranged in upright racemes and are bell-shaped.
Growing conditions
- Sunlight
- Partial shade
- Soil type
- Loam, Sand
- Soil pH
- Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Moist but well-drained
- Aspect
- East-facing, North-facing, South-facing, West-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H4
Plant details
- Plant type
- Herbaceous Perennial
- Habit
- Bushy
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Height
- 0.1-0.5 metres
- Spread
- 0.1-0.5 metres
- Time to full height
- 2-5 years
- Suggested uses
- Patio and container plants, Cottage and informal garden, City and courtyard gardens
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Under glass, grow in peat-free, loam-based potting compost with added leaf mould, in bright filtered or bright indirect light. In summer water freely, applying a quarter strength balanced liquid fertiliser at every third watering. Keep dry in winter
- Pruning
- No pruning required
- Propagation
- Propagate by division in early spring and replant immediately
- Pest resistance
- May be susceptible to glasshouse red spider mite, aphids, glasshouse whitefly and mealybugs
- Disease resistance
- Generally disease-free