Chinese pagoda orchid, better known in U.S. gardens as hyacinth orchid or Chinese ground orchid, is a hardy ground orchid you can grow outdoors in much of the United States, in 5–9. It sends up pleated, sword-shaped leaves in spring and sprays of magenta-pink flowers. It is native to China, Japan, Korea, and Myanmar, not to the U.S.
Appearance
- Appearance
- A clump-forming ground orchid 8–18 in (20–45 cm) tall, with ribbed, pleated leaves. Each stem carries 3–7 magenta-pink flowers; white and pale forms are also grown.
- Flowering time
- Spring to early summer.
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- Gardens
- Grassy slopes (native range)
- Range
- Native to China, Japan, Korea, and Myanmar, where it grows in clumps on grassy slopes. In the United States it is grown as a garden plant.
Growing it
- Care
- Hardy in USDA zones 5–9; in zone 5 it benefits from a winter mulch, and it may not survive very harsh winters. Give it partial shade and moist, well-drained soil rich in organic matter. It dislikes soggy soil. Slugs and snails are the main occasional pests. The leaves die back in winter.
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed
Culture and stories
- Culture and stories
- The species name striata means "striped," a nod to its ribbed leaves.
- In traditional Chinese medicine the tuber is used for ulcers and other problems of the digestive lining, and its sticky starch has served as a natural glue for the silk strings of the guqin, a Chinese zither.
More species to explore
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