Pleione

Pleione

These are half hardy or tender, terrestrial orchids from India, China and Taiwan. They grow from, and die back to, small pseudobulbs which sit at, or just below, ground level.

Pleione are winter-dormant and are ideal for pot cultivation under cool glass as long as they can be stored free of frost. One or two species appreciate a warmer growth cycle.

We offer a good range of species. Our bulbs are all cultivated stocks, clean, healthy and correctly named. Bulbs are flowering sized and budded unless otherwise specifically noted.

We offer a few, autumn-flowering species in the autumn, which is the best time to move these species. The bulk of our spring-flowering offerings are available in winter-spring.



These are CITES species. Due to ridiculous permit costs imposed by the UK government (approx £60 per item) they are no longer available for customers in Norway, Switzerland, USA, etc.

Products

Pleione maculata

Pleione maculata

A curious species, with tubby, warty, green bulbs. It makes its fragrant white blooms in October. The lip is strongly marked with Imperial purple and yellow.

Not difficult, but for success it needs a very open, airy compost, such as pure moss, in an orchid basket or a lattice pot, a winter temperature over 8°C and a high summer temperature with lots of humidity. Treated as a tropical epiphyte it thrives.

Very few, a first offering from a new stock of plants guaranteed to be cultivated, raised from seed in Belgium and promising to be growable!

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Pleione maculataplemacmac £16.50
Cultivated, propagated, flowering sized bulbs.
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Pleione praecox

Pleione praecox

This is unusual, in that it flowers in the autumn, from September onwards.

The flowers are quite large with pink petals around a tubular white lip, which is stained deep pink at the mouth and marked internally with yellow.

It is very lovely but not often seen, perhaps as increase of the fat, angular purple and green chequered bulbs can be slow if the plant is not happy.

It is much more epiphytic than many and it likes moss or mossy bark pieces rather than soil-based composts. Treated as for maculata as a warm house epiphyte this will stagger you with its increase both in the girth and numbers. Treated as just another Pleione it will still do quite well in the alpine house.

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Pleione praecoxplepra £16.50
Cultivated, propagated, flowering sized bulbs.
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