Orchid Family Branches Out in Trees

Many people think orchids will grow only in hot, tropical jungles and need greenhouses to flourish in Orange County.

But with more than 20,000 species in the orchid family, the largest in the plant kingdom, and about 100,000 hybrids, it’s possible to select varieties that can be grown outdoors without an expensive greenhouse or elaborate watering system.

Gardeners with limited growing space or a desire for the unusual can even grow orchids in trees.

The secret lies in selecting the correct species.

“Coastal Orange County is a Mediterranean climate where many orchids will grow outside,” said Bill Moore, an orchid fancier who grows more than 400 individual orchid plants at his Tustin home.

Moore began growing orchids as a hobby six years ago when he retired from a business career and was looking for something interesting to fill his time.

“I went to an orchid meeting, and I was hooked,” he said with a laugh.

Moore grows Cymbidium, Cattleya, Dendrobium and Oncidium orchids in his backyard. He also enjoys more tender species, such as Phalaenopsis, that require the temperature and humidity controls provided by greenhouses. He has a greenhouse and shade house for them.

Moore grows his orchids outside and, when they are in bloom, brings individual plants inside to enjoy the blossoms, which can last from two weeks to one month, depending on the variety.

“It’s a good idea to plan your orchid collection to bloom at different times during the year so there’s always a plant in flower,” he recommended.

Once the bloom spike fades, the plant is returned to its outdoor location.

He groups his orchids by species and places them where they are protected from direct sunlight, because orchids need filtered light.

Moore recommends placing pots of orchids around the bases of trees, where they will be protected from strong sunlight. If that is not possible, place them under shade cloth or in a patio protected by arbors or trellises.

It’s important for orchid pots to be off the ground. Moore built benches, painted and treated for water protection, on which he groups his orchid plants.

“This enables the water to drain away from the pots and also protects [the plants] from snails, slugs, ants and mealybugs,” he said. “It doesn’t eliminate them completely, but raising the pots keeps a great deal of insects away.”

Orchids can be elevated even more by growing them in trees.

Brad Carter, assistant director of the UCI Arboretum in Irvine, grows 80 orchid plants of 30 species in jacaranda and king palm trees at his Costa Mesa home.

“Some types of orchids are epiphytes--their roots grow in air, where they obtain the moisture and nourishment they need,” Carter said.

In their native landscapes, epiphytic orchids cling to high branches of trees in subtropical or tropical jungles.

“Epiphytes can withstand a short period of drought, and they’re used to drying out, so we can grow them here,” Carter said. “It’s best to grow them in trees that don’t shed bark or have such dense canopies that they block out the sunlight.”

Whether orchids are grown in containers or fastened to trees, they need watering two or three times weekly in hot, dry weather and once every seven to 10 days in fall and winter.

Moore fertilizes his plants regularly--every other time he waters--with a commercial, water-soluble, orchid food. Carter doesn’t.

“I’m a very lazy gardener and don’t fertilize my plants,” Carter admitted. “They bloom anyway. If I did fertilize them, they would bloom more, but like so many people, I’m stretched for time.”

In addition to tending his orchids, Moore also looks after the cymbidium collection at the UCI Arboretum, which is sponsoring an Orchid Festival on Nov. 2 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. More than 20 vendors will sell a wide variety of orchids, from $5 to $100. At noon, Moore will present a talk about how to grow orchids outdoors. Grower Bill Austin will discuss Epidendrum orchids at 11 a.m.

Admission to the event is $2 per person. There is no charge for members of the arboretum, Newport Harbor Orchid Society and Orange County Orchid Society, or for children.

The UCI Arboretum is at the corner of Campus Drive and Jamboree Road on the UCI North Campus. For more information, call (714) 824-5833.