The beauty and elegance of an orchid, its extravagant flower shapes and colors captivates every plant lover. These attractive plants are best known as indoor plants. But you don't have to do without them in the garden either. Because a large number of orchids are hardy and can be in our latitudes in the garden, on the balcony and terrace all year round without being damaged.
Hardy orchids
Orchids kept as houseplants are generally not suitable for keeping outdoors. In the meantime, however, there are numerous particularly robust and hardy species that have been specially bred to be kept outdoors all year round. In the trade, mainly Tibetan and Japanese orchids and the lady's slipper are offered. But there are other outdoor species that are no less beautiful, such as orchids, orchids and orchids.
Tibetan or mountain orchid (Pleione limprichtii)
Not every species of the genus Pleione would survive the winter outdoors in our latitudes. However, the Tibetan orchid (Pleione limprichtii) has good winter hardiness and can be in the garden all year round. It is perennial, grows upright and is between 10 and 15 cm tall. Its pink, funnel-shaped flowers with a brick-red mottled, fringed lip appear from May to June. Under a closed blanket of snow, it can even withstand temperatures of -20 °C. If this is missing, however, it is advisable to cover it with fleece.
Japanese Orchid (Bletilla striata)
The Japanese orchid is one of the wild orchids that are also suitable for outdoor cultivation in the garden. There they are hardy to about -17.7 °C. It is not uncommon for her to get by without any protection at all. However, if you want to be on the safe side, you can protect them with a cover made of dry leaves and fleece or bubble wrap. Bletilla striata opens its bell-shaped flowers in June/July for several weeks. The biggest enemy of this orchid is excess water in winter, which should be avoided at all costs.
Bletilla striata 'alba'
- The easiest orchid to grow in the garden
- Forms beautiful stands within a few years
- Inflorescences arranged in racemose
- Brilliant white single flowers on red-green stalks
- Flowering time is from June to July
- Growth height is approx. 40 cm
- Suitable for planting at the edge of the pond or near the water
Bletilla striata 'blue'
This rustic, approx. 30 cm high terrestrial orchid captivates with a bright purple-blue. The lip is predominantly white with a lilac border and small spots. In the right place, it can withstand temperatures down to -20 °C.
Bletilla striata 'kuchibeni'
This Japanese orchid, which can grow to a height of 60 cm, has white flowers with a slight lilac shimmer. The so-called lip has a pink or mauve border. It flowers from July to August and is hardy down to -20 °C.
tip: The soil should not dry out completely, especially in summer.
Bletilla striata 'pink'
The clustered, funnel-shaped flowers of this orchid variety are light pink to purple and white. But also the basic color of the lip is white with purple lines and border. It is hardy to a maximum of -20 °C and the growth height is about 40 cm.
lady's slipper (Cypripedium calceolus)
The terrestrial (on the ground) growing lady's slipper (Cypripedium calceolus) is one of the most magnificent and exclusive orchid species. It is very hardy and can therefore be cultivated outdoors. Depending on the variety, the flowers appear singly or in clusters. The leaf rosette consists of leaves tapering outwards.
As a rule, each flowering stem bears only one single flower. Under optimal conditions, however, it can sometimes be two. The flowers have four outer, widely protruding tepals that surround the actual "shoe". This can reach a length of four to eight centimeters. In the right location, these orchids are amazingly robust and can even multiply over the years.
tip: Lady's slipper hybrids with different flower colors and colors are offered in special nurseries. This is to prevent protected lady's slipper orchids from being removed from their natural habitats, which is prohibited anyway.
Hardy lady's slipper orchid varieties
Cypripedium Ventricosum 'Pastel'
Cypripedium Ventricosum 'Pastel' is a particularly exclusive variety with ivory colored flowers. Depending on the plant and the year, the blossoms also have a smaller proportion of red. In cool temperatures during bud formation, reddish streaks and speckles may be seen. When it gets warmer in spring, however, these are absent. This hybrid grows 40-55 cm in height.
Cypripedium parviflorum - 'Small-Flowered Lady's Slipper'
- A rather delicate representative of its genus
- Reaches a maximum height of 30 cm
- Elegant flowers appear from May and last for several weeks
- Are very similar to those of the native lady's slipper (Cypripedium calceolus).
- Sepals (sepals) are chocolate brown and heavily twisted
- Labellum or the "shoe" is golden yellow and mottled red on the inside
tip: Due to its robust characteristics, the small-flowered lady's slipper is particularly well suited for newcomers to orchids.
Cypripedium kentuckiense
- This North American orchid species is hardy and suitable for outdoors
- Has the largest flowers among the lady's slipper orchids
- Flower color is creamy yellow to whitish
- Schuh almost reaches the size of a hen's egg
- Also sepals (sepals) particularly large
- They are dark wine red and slightly twisted
- Flowers appear around the end of May
- Fully grown clumps of 60-80 cm, a real feast for the eyes
Cypripedium formosanum - Taiwan lady's slipper
The Taiwan lady's slipper is a very noble looking variety. Both the flowers and the leaves are impressive here. The flowers are white, cupped inward and mottled with wine-red. In contrast to the tapering other species, the leaves are fan-shaped and therefore particularly decorative. Cypripedium formosanum usually flowers from the end of April.
tip: Due to the relatively early flowering, it is advisable to protect this orchid from the winter sun in order to delay budding outdoors.
Cypripedium x ventricosum
Cypripedium x ventricosum is a very robust variety with large, wine-red flowers. Both the sepals and the "shoe" are burgundy with fine lines. The growth height is about 40 cm. The flowering period begins in May, with each shoot bearing only one or two flowers.
Orchids (Dactylorhiza)
The European orchid (Dactylorhiza) is also hardy and belongs to the orchids. Its long flower panicles, which consist of many individual flowers, convince with different shades of pink, red and violet and drawings in the form of dots or lines. The leaves are long, narrow and darkly mottled. The growth heights are between 40 and 60 cm. These plants feel most comfortable in fresh and moist locations, e.g. at the edge of a pond or in a bog bed.
tip: Unfortunately, the orchid is also very popular with snails. Appropriate protective measures are therefore recommended.
Hellebore (Epipactis)
Stendelwurz belong to the wild species. Its flowers only draw attention to themselves on closer inspection. They are typical, different colored orchid flowers, where the lower petal is again formed into a lip. They prefer semi-shady or shady locations with moist, humus-rich or poor soil.
Hellebore hybrid 'Sabine'
This hybrid has relatively large buds for its species. Up to 15 magnificently colored and pleasantly scented individual flowers are attached to one flower stalk. This thornwort flowers from June to July and grows to a height of between 30 and 60 cm.
Red-brown thornwort (Epipactis atrorubens)
The flower colors of this species can vary, but they are usually brown-red or aubergine. In warm weather, they exude an intense vanilla-like scent. The stems are purple in colour. Flowering time is from July to August and the growth height is 20-50 cm.
White or Marsh Orchid (Epipactis palustris)
- Swamp tendelwurz, one of the most robust and hardy orchids in this country
- Outer bracts mostly greenish and fading into reddish
- Inner, upper petals, like the back of the lip
- White to light pink in color with fine violet lines along veins
- Front lip white with wavy edge
- Flowering time is in June/July
- Upright stems grow 20-50 cm, rarely up to 80 cm in height
Broad-leaved Helleborine (Epipactis Helleborine)
Particularly hardy and one of the most widespread native orchids is Epipactis Helleborine. It is one of the few non-endangered species and can grow up to 80 cm high. From July to August, delicate pink to greenish flowers sit on the stems, which are only leafy underneath.
Orchids (Ophrys)
Orchids are also hardy orchids and are a botanical specialty and master of deception. Differently colored and marked flowers can be found on one stem. Not only are they colorful, they are also unusually shaped, since their shape and coloring are similar to insects. Growing between 10 and 50 cm, orchids are rather graceful. Another special feature are the two resting phases that these plants go through, once in winter and then again in summer.
Bee Orchid (Ophrys apifera)
The bee orchid forms large, exotic-looking, delicate violet flowers. There are between three and ten flowers on a stem. The lip of the flower is similar in shape and color to various wild bee species. Flowering time is from May to July. The growth height is 20-50 cm.
tip: This hardy orchid is one of the rarest and most endangered native plant species.
Fly orchid (Ophrys insectifera)
- Fly orchid between 15 and 40 cm high
- Extravagant flowers appear from early May to July.
- Two to twelve flowers per stem
- Particularly striking is the black-brown lip, partly surrounded by yellow
- Lip surrounded by light green sepals
- Appearance of the flower insect-like
- One of the most striking native hardy orchids
Bumblebee orchid (Ofhrys holoserica)
The bumblebee orchid is also hardy and impresses with its colorful flowers, which appear in May and June. An inflorescence contains two to ten flowers. The sepals are mostly pink, the shorter petals pink to red. The trapezoidal lip is dark brown with variable markings. Flowering time is from May to June. Growth heights of 10-50 cm are reached.
