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How to Identify a Butterfly or an Orchid
Orchids are thought of as exotic flowers because they come in so many different kinds, colours, and shapes. The Butterfly Orchids is a beautiful flower. The name “Butterfly Orchid” comes from the fact that it looks like a butterfly. It is also called a Moth Orchid, and their scent at night is well-known.
Butterfly Orchids include plants from the Orchid family like Phalaenopsis, Epidendrum tampense, O. Pupilio, Habenaria psycodes, and Oncidium krameranum. People think that these species are the most beautiful because of their bright and beautiful colours.
There are two kinds of Butterfly Orchids. These are:
- Lesser Butterfly Orchid
- The Butterfly Orchid is bigger.
Lesser Butterfly Orchid
It is a beautiful plant with cream-colored flowers that have a touch of green. The good thing about Lesser Butterfly Orchids is that they can grow easily in different kinds of soil, like acidic soil, sand, gravel, or clay that is on top of sand or clay.
Most of the time, you can find these orchids in wet places like meadows, grasslands, open areas, the edges of woods, highlands, and heaths. Most of their blooms come in June and July. Their flowers are smaller, closer together, and a little bit whiter than those of the Greater Butterfly Orchids.
One flower stalk can have up to 25 white flowers with a yellowish-green tint. The height of the Lesser Butterfly Orchid is about 30 cm.
The Butterfly Orchid is bigger.
It looks a lot like the Lesser Butterfly Orchid in shape, but if you look closely at the spur of the flower, you can tell them apart.
In the Greater Butterfly Orchid, the spur is wide, open, and pointed downward. At the top, there are two pollinia (clumps of pollen) that point in different directions. In the Lesser Butterfly Orchid, the spur is horizontal and the pollinia are very straight. The Greater Butterfly Orchid’s flower spike is also longer and wider.
Lesser Butterfly Orchids can grow in acidic soil, but Greater Butterfly Orchids can’t. They can only be found on moors and in swamps. They can grow to about 50 cm tall.
How to Grow Butterfly Orchids
Most people who collect orchids like these two kinds of Butterfly Orchids. Unlike some other kinds of orchids, these ones are easy to grow and care for. But they do have to be cared for in a certain way.
Butterfly Orchids can be grown by anyone who chooses the right kind of soil. Orchids also need the right amount of humidity all the time. Putting the orchid pot on a tray of pebbles and pouring water into the tray would be enough to give the plant the right amount of humidity. These orchids also need fertilisers on a regular basis. People think that a weak solution of fertilisers is best for the Orchid plant. You need to mix the fertiliser into the water and feed the plant at least once a month. Last but not least, these orchids need to be near a window so they can get enough air.
Growing Butterfly Orchids at home or in the garden is fun. You can have brightly coloured flowers every year if you give them a little care.
