Ghost orchid.

Auf einen Blick

Pflegestufe

Schwierig

Pflanzenart

Orchid

Licht

Dappled shade

Licht im Innenraum

Hell, indirekt

Gießen

Alle 1 bis 2 Tage

Endgröße

15 to 20 centimeters

Wachstum

Langsam

Winterhärte

USDA 10 bis 11

Blütezeit

Mid to late summer

Pflege

This plant requires very high humidity and constant air circulation to mimic its native swamp environment. Watch for shriveling roots, which indicate the plant is not receiving enough moisture or humidity. It is best left to experienced collectors due to its specific environmental needs.

Gießen

Keep the roots consistently moist through frequent misting or high humidity.

Düngen

Use a very dilute orchid fertilizer during the active growing season.

Schneiden

Only remove dead or damaged roots during the dormant period.

Umtopfen

This plant should not be repotted as it requires a host tree or mount.

Boden

None, grows as an epiphyte

Temperatur

15 bis 30°C

Luftfeuchtigkeit

70 bis 95%

Sicherheit

Menschen

There is no known toxicity, but it is not a food plant.

Kinder

The delicate roots are easily damaged by handling, so keep this plant out of reach of children.

Essbarkeit

This plant is not edible and should never be consumed.

So erkennst du die Pflanze

• Leafless structure with green roots
• White flowers with long nectar spur
• Roots cling directly to tree bark
• Flowers appear to float in air

Höhe

0,05 bis 0,15m

Breite

0,05 bis 0,2m

Blätter

deciduous

Blüten

white, 3 bis 5cm

Früchte

brown, Autumn

Häufige Probleme

• Root rot — Occurs when roots remain too wet without adequate airflow.

Standort und Pflege

Vermehrung

seed

Pflanzzeit

Spring

Always mimic the natural vertical layering of a swamp forest to provide the specific light and humidity levels required.

Gute Pflanzpartner

• Sumpfzypresse — This tree provides the ideal humid, shaded bark surface for the orchid to attach.
• Fraxinus caroliniana — It often shares the same swampy habitat and provides necessary dappled light.

Ähnliche Arten

• Polyrrhiza lindenii — This is a synonym often used in older botanical texts for the same species.

Botanisches

Familie

Orchidaceae

Gattung

Dendrophylax

Ordnung

Asparagales

Klasse

Liliopsida

Ursprüngliche Heimat

Florida and parts of the Caribbean.

Artenschutz

It is listed as endangered and is protected by federal and state laws in its native range.

It survives by anchoring itself to host trees in humid swamps, absorbing moisture directly from the air.

Nutzen für Wildtiere

nectar source

Bestäuber

Nachtfalter

Verwendung

botanical curiosity, conservation display

Taxonomie abgeglichen mit GBIF.

Häufige Fragen

Can I grow this at home?

It is extremely difficult to cultivate outside of specialized greenhouse conditions.

Does it need soil?

No, it is an epiphyte that grows attached to the bark of trees.

Woher der Name kommt

The name Dendrophylax comes from Greek words meaning tree guard, while lindenii honors the Belgian explorer Jean Jules Linden.

Gut zu wissen

• It is often called the ghost orchid because it appears to float in the air.
• The plant lacks leaves entirely, performing all gas exchange through its roots.
• It was famously featured in the book The Orchid Thief.
• The flowers are pollinated exclusively by the giant sphinx moth.

Auch in

• Pflanzen für den Schatten