Phaius philippinensis

Also known as: The Philippine Phaius in the subfamily: Epidendroideae

Native to: Philippines

General Information

The Philippine Phaius is a sympodial warm to hot growing free-flowering orchid belonging to the sub family Epidendroideae native to Philippines.

Plant Description

Sympodial. Grows to 150cm. Each new growth has numerous lance shaped leaves that grow to 30-71cm long. Pseudobulbs grow to 40-61cm

Flowers

Numerous long lasting blossoms appear readily

Substrate(s)

• Spaghnum Moss

Climate

The orchids are well adapted for hot weather, accompanied by sporadic, unpredictable rainfall and a generally dry climate. They can tolerate a lot of neglect as they are quite used to it, however they can be prone to underwatering and may collapse in cold, wet weather.

For this reason it's best to dedicate a sheltered, protected area for them where the watering can be controlled, such as a corner of a greenhouse or in a sheltered balcony. They can also do well hung near the roof of a shadehouse or sheltered greenhouse where they receive the extra heat but not as much water as other plants. 

Grows at low to high elevations. Rainfall ranges from 10mm to 587mm per day, heaviest in July and lightest in January. Humidity ranges from 70% to 85%, highest in August and lowest in February. Temperature ranges from 14C to 29C, highest in April (17C to 29C) and lowest in January (14C to 25C).

Watering

These orchids prefer a constant supply of moisture, with a slight drying out between waterings. Saucers can be placed under pots to retain moisture during hot weather, however the saucers should be removed or let to dry every 1-2 weeks to prevent rot. Keep an eye on the plant especially in hot weather and look for cues of under/overwatering and adjust accordingly.

Fertiliser

Apply liquid based fertiliser per recommended directions. They can benefit from a high phosphate fertiliser leading up to flowering season, followed by a high nitrogen fertiliser when new growth appears, and a balanced fertiliser in other times. These orchids can also tolerate slow release fertiliser applied 1-2 pellets per cup (250ml) of media.

Apply fertiliser regularly at half strength year round.