Growing the Peacock Orchid

Peacock Orchid (Acidanthera bicolor) -- These hot house favorites are not true orchids, but we let them slide because they are so beautiful and easy to grow. They are actually relatives of the garden Gladiolus -- a staple in Southern gardens. Many people refer to it as the Indian Crocus because it bears its delightful flowers before foliage appears. The Peacock Orchid makes an impressive show when several are grouped in a mass in large bowls or tubs. Because they are natives of Central and Southern Africa, they perform best on the sun porch, bright living room, warm patio, or balcony, or planted against a sunny, warm garden wall. This perennial actually grows from underground corms to produce delicate, bi-colored flowers

Here and in England, Acidanthera bicolor is known as the Peacock Orchid, obviously a reference to its profuse, long-necked flower. It could just as easily be called the Butterfly Orchid because its large, irregular flowers look a lot like butterflies at rest on the plant. Most Gladiolus (Glads) come from tropical or drier areas of Central and Southern Africa. There are about 25 species we know of, and Acidanthera bicolor has been singled out by discriminating gardeners because of its unique, highly fragrant flowers. It's interesting to note that the word Gladiolus comes from the Latin, gladius, which means 'sword', a nod to the sword-like shape of its leaves. So the next time you notice Glads growing in Grandma's garden, think of how they are connected with Russell Crowe and the movie, The Gladiator.

Anyway, one particular member of the Glad family, Gladiolus Murielae, was isolated in the 1930's and taken to England for further hybridization. The English are famous for their love and devotion to plants, particularly flowers, and they developed a Glad with much larger corms and which now bloom about 2 weeks earlier than the original plant.

I have twice mentioned 'corms,' without explaining exactly what they are. Corms are actually underground stems, very similar to bulbs, but having papery, rather than fleshy, scale leaves. The corms can be used for several years in succession and are by no means dead when the leaves turn brown and wither in fall. The corms have propagation a breeze -- simply divide corms and remove the offsets which grow on the 'mother' tuber.

Expect the Peacock Orchid to reach a mature height of 28 -- 40 inches. Stems are adorned with a few close, nodding flowers. Each individual bloom is shaped like a delicate, curved funnel with a long, slender neck. Flowers are white with a purplish ring at the center and purple markings on the throat. As mentioned, they are highly fragrant, with a strong, sweet aroma. They are a perennial, meaning they produce new stems, leaves, and flowers each year. They overwinter in their bulb-like corm, but be advised -- they cannot tolerate sub-freezing temperatures. Plants generally bloom from July through October, which make them a great choice for late summer / early fall color. Flowers are white with reddish-purple markings in the throat and on the petals. Blooms are 4 to 5 inches wide, and are similar in appearance to butterflies.

Plants Refuse To Flower: (Shoot 'em). Seriously, flowers will not form in winter storage if temperatures dip much below freezing. It's also a good idea to plant these flowers in a sunny location such as up against a south-facing garden wall. For information on how to store the corms, see the section, 'Briefly Speaking.'

Leaves Turn Yellow and Striped: Probably a virus, and the culprit is probably aphids. They are notorious for spreading disease. Try to keep aphids away from your plants with a strong spray of water from the garden hose. Use insecticide as a last resort, and if you go this route, be careful.

Patches of Rot On the Corms: Probably gray mold. Another sign you may notice is gray, furry patches on the leaves or spots of rot on the flowers. If your Orchids stay indoors, air the room thoroughly since gray mold likes high humidity, a real concern in greenhouses. Use fungicide as a last resort if the problem persists or becomes severe.

Briefly: Perennial, late summer / early fall bloomer that needs plenty of full sunlight and plenty of hot temperatures in order to develop flowers. It is a very decorative plant that looks quite impressive if several are grouped together in large bowls or tubs. It is a great plant for the sun porch or warm balcony.

Flowers and Fragrance: Flowers are white with reddish-purple markings in the throat and on the petals. Blooms are 4 to 5 inches wide and are similar to butterflies in appearance.

Light and Temperature: During the winter, the corms need to be stored at temperatures between 40 and 50 degrees. Water well in summer and feed 4 -- 6 times during the growing season. Keep corms dry in winter to prevent rot.

Soil and Transplanting: These plants like a rich, fast-draining garden soil. If the soil is poor, mix in compost, complete fertilizer, or superphosphate before planting, but do not place fertilizer in contact with the corms.

Propagating: Easy enough. Take the small offset corms from the mother tuber. You can also try sowing seed, but that's a bit more difficult and requires the patience of Job. One of the most attractive features of the Peacock Orchid is that it is so easy to keep to propagate.

Trick of the Trade: Buy corms as soon as they are available in nurseries in your area. Do not plant them all at once; instead, for waves of continuous color staggered throughout the summer, plant the corms in the garden every 1 to 2 weeks. They will bloom about 65 to 90 days after planting. If you are an indoor fancier, make sure to plant 3 or 4 corms together in an 8-inch container. Feed and water regularly, and enjoy!