Vandaceous Orchid

Vandas (Vandaceous Orchid) are becoming popular among orchid growers and most of these are monopodial in habit, with aerial roots appearing along the stem. They have about 50 species from which the many hybrids are derived from the tropics- Asia and the orient as far down as Australia. The inflorescences appear from the axis of the leaves. Flowers are long lasting and appear in a cluster along the spike. The wide range of colors which includes some fairly good blues and browns has added greatly to their popularity. Yellow, orange, scarlet, deep purple and bright fuschia are all part of the vandaceous color palette. They vary in size and some flowers sport exotic markings or can be covered with spots or stripes. Many Vandas have a powerful fragrance. Many of the orchids in these groups have nicknames like Scorpion Orchids or Spider orchids.

Vandas like warm temperatures with plenty of air movement. Potting should be done in a very open media to allow for rapid drying of roots. They prefer coarse media such as fir bark, charcoal, tree fern fiber, coconut chips or any fast draining material. They will continue to grow anytime of the year if given warm temperatures and plenty of sunlight. Vandaceous orchids are fast growing and therefore prefer high light levels, high humidity and frequent watering. They may grow to be very large plants, sometimes 10 to 12 feet high. They normally grow best suspended in wooden baskets and require warm growing conditions with plenty of bright light. Vandas are often grown outdoors in hanging baskets during the summer months. Vandas are heavy feeders and should be fed a balanced fertilizer often.