
Gr CN OGHES) GUlOROCGHE ON 
SWAN ORCHID (TURN PAGE UPSIDE DOWN AND NOTICE IMAGE OF A SWAN) 
The Swan orchid has all the oddities expressed in one plant a person could 
wish. The flowers besides being unique and beautiful in color and form have 
a pleasant fragrance. The flowers average 4 to 5 inches across and may attain 
6 inches. This species is generally dioecious. That is, a plant will flower 
with all male or all female flowers. However, both sexes of flowers have 
been known to appear on the same plant. The picture above shows male flowers. 
The flowers of the female are very similar—the column being the only difference 
and this is not very obvious unless one is a student of botany. The pollen of the 
male flowers will fly thru the air a short distance if molested. 
CULTURAL DIRECTIONS 
Plant growth generally begins in February at which time begin watering once 
a day. After April increase the watering to twice daily. Give a light airy position 
in the greenhouse or sunporch. They grow naturally on large trees that shade the 
coffee plantations in Tropical America. An Eastern exposure is considered best and 
southern next best. This orchid will take fertilizing once a month (see Phalaneopsis 
cultural directions on page 19). 
Osmunda fibre can be used for potting but a liberal amount of broken pots 
should be used to provide good drainage. Some growers like to use pieces of 
Cupress wood or bark (or other woods upon which orchids grow naturally) wedged 
in container with osmunda. Do not over-pot in too large a size container. The 
watering schedule above may be reduced if osmunda does not dry out readily from 
one watering to the next. Watering should be reduced when flower spike appears— 
but kept moderately moist. 
This specie is deciduous. The leaves will start to drop off from October on. 
At this time a flower spike will start forming at the axil of one of the leaves 
near the top of the pseudobulb. Often the spikes will develop into flower while 
the plant holds its entire foliage. ‘They will also often produce more than one flower 
spike a season. 
The old pseudobulbs will deteriorate after the new growth is nearly completed. 
You can try your luck at propagating the old pseudobulbs by layering them in 
dampened sphagnum moss to encourage sprouts. If the old pseudobulbs show signs 
28 Greenhouses at Mandarin on the St. Johns River 
