Caladenia (Harlequin x flava) - Blooming size tuber - Bare root
Caladenia (Harlequin x flava) - Blooming size tuber - Bare root
This hybrid is mindblowing. Caladenia flava brings decent flower size to the table while Calda. Harlequin paints the bloom in extraordinary colors. I am talking bright yelllows, purples, and pink all mixed and spotted on the same flower. It is really something special.
Most Australian terrestrial orchids are SUMMER DORMANT - yes, summer, not winter. This makes their need for slightly cooler temps (<75 F) while growing much easier to maintain (we grow them in the same location that we grow our Habenaria during the spring and summer). They like bright light and can have dark and/or yellowing on their leaves as a result (look up in situ pictures - those leaves do not look so happy, but, wow, do they flower well!). We water 2-3 times a week to keep the medium slightly damp during the growing season.
These can be a little challenging to grow, but that is almost entirely because of the medium. They grow best in an extremely well-draining, mostly-inorganic medium that has some sort of healthy fungal and/or bacterial microenvironment to help aid the plant's growth since they have a very unimpressive root system.
Original photo captured by Jean and Fred Hort and modified for use by RustyExotics Orchids, Inc. Photo represents what this hybrid may look like.