Due to the frenchy-ring of its name, most of my friends thought that Phalaenopsis lueddemanniana is an imported plant. It was named after Monsieur Lueddemann of Paris; his passion with exotic plants was rewarded when he got to flower this species in European soil in 1865. This variety of orchid is actually endemic here in the Philippines.
My P. lueddemanniana produces 3 – 5 white flowers about less than 2 inches wide across. Red and purple streaks appear on the sepals and petals. Also, a purple lip with hair-like bristles at its tip adds an interesting detail to this sweetly scented blossom. The flowers could last up to eight weeks.
This orchid is easy to care, at least here in the tropics. It requires morning sunlight, sufficient water and fertilizer once a week. I alternately put a bloom-booster and a grower fertilizer on it so it could flower thrice a year. Moreover, I’ve placed this orchid on a hanging basket filled and used chunks of bark from a black tree-fern or anutong as potting material.
Mama Nene's Garden 