Pleione yunnanensis

Also known as: The Yunnan Pleione or Pleione yunnanensis var. chiwuana Pleione chiwuana in the subfamily: Epidendroideae

Native to: China

General Information

The Yunnan Pleione is a miniature cool growing epiphytic or terrestrial orchid belonging to the sub family Epidendroideae native to China. It is named after a province of China.

Plant Description

Grows to 20-28cm. Each new growth has numerous erect lance shaped leaves that grow to 15-25cm long. Pseudobulbs grow to 1-2cm

Substrate(s)

• Coarse

Care Notes

These orchids like to be kept on the dry side, but may need to be watered daily during warm weather, and prefer a well draining mix or also do well mounted, provided they can be watered regularly.

These are quite a forgiving orchid, there are no special requirements to get this orchid to flower, just good care and consistent conditions. Larger plants may be more fussy and can react poorly to change; a poorly timed repotting, a pest infection or an unusually hot day can set them back for a couple of years. However, even plants that have been treated poorly can thrive, and if they are set back they often recover much stronger then they would otherwise be.

Climate

Grows at high elevations. Rainfall ranges from 5mm to 259mm per day, heaviest in July and lightest in January. Humidity ranges from 61% to 79%, highest in August and lowest in April. Temperature ranges from -1C to 22C, highest in May (12C to 22C) and lowest in January (-1C to 11C).

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. Use a low Nitrogen fertiliser year round.

Potting

These plants can be sensitive to repotting though should not require repotting regularly. Repotting should be done when the mix has broken down to the point that it doesn't absorb water or holds onto water for far too long, usually the plant shows a decline in growth as well.

The mix should be free draining, with a blend of 30% inorganic ingredients such as coarse sand, gravel or perlite, mixed in with about 70% organic ingredients such as peat, leaf litter or decomposed bark. Avoid commercial potting mixes as they can vary wildly and may contain "wetting agents" that can hold onto water for loo long, causing rotting and stunted growth.

Use water retentive media such as moss to prevent roots from drying out quickly