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Nun's Hood Orchid flowers

(Photo courtesy of NetPS Plant Finder)

Other Names:  Lady Tankerville's Swamp Orchid, Ground Orchid

Description:

This colorful orchid produces arching spikes with pink flowers that have purple throats; copper bracts with white reverses crown the blooms ; an excellent focal plant for containers or hanging baskets

Features & Attributes

Nun's Hood Orchid features showy spikes of pink orchid-like flowers with white overtones, purple throats and coppery-bronze bracts at the ends of the stems in late winter. Its sword-like leaves remain dark green in color throughout the year.

This is an open herbaceous evergreen houseplant with tall flower stalks held atop a low mound of foliage. This plant should not require much pruning, except when necessary to keep it looking its best.

Planting & Growing

When grown indoors, Nun's Hood Orchid can be expected to grow to be about 3 feet tall at maturity extending to 4 feet tall with the flowers, with a spread of 3 feet. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years. This houseplant should only be grown away from direct sunlight or in a room with strong artificial light. It does best in average to evenly moist soil, but will not tolerate standing water. The surface of the soil shouldn't be allowed to dry out completely, and so you should expect to water this plant once and possibly even twice each week. Be aware that your particular watering schedule may vary depending on its location in the room, the pot size, plant size and other conditions; if in doubt, ask one of our experts in the store for advice. It is not particular as to soil type or pH; an average potting soil should work just fine.

There are many factors that will affect the ultimate height, spread and overall performance of a plant when grown indoors; among them, the size of the pot it's growing in, the amount of light it receives, watering frequency, the pruning regimen and repotting schedule. Use the information described here as a guideline only; individual performance can and will vary. Please contact the store to speak with one of our experts if you are interested in further details concerning recommendations on pot size, watering, pruning, repotting, etc.