PlantFiles: Bamboo Orchid, Bird Orchid
Arundina graminifolia

I like to grow the bamboo orchids because they do not require much care, being a tropical country the sun and rain makes it easy to grow in the hills and lowlands. I have not encountered any pest attacks and the need for pesticides is virtually nil.They bloom all year round, makeing the garden beautiful.There are two other varieties, one with a whitish flower, the second one is called the stuby, suitable to grow in pots.

Hi!
Can i know some thing more about the bamboo orchid .
Thanks
Regards
Jasmine
jassy29@rediffmail.com

Please do not plant this plant in a tropical area. It is self-fertile and is considered a noxious, invasive species. It is a pest in Hawaii for this reason.

It will even self-seed in a greenhouse and then you'll have dozens or hundreds of baby Arundinas to weed out of your other orchid pots.

This orchid is growing outdoors at least as far north as Leu Gardens, in Orlando, Florida. I am still not sure though, if this makes it hardy in zone 9b, or just for zones 10 and higher. It was in flower in Leu Gardens on December 3, 2004.

I am planting bamboo orchids in the Los Angeles area this weekend. I will report back how they do here.
Thanks..

This grows wild on the hillside above my house on Lamma Island, Hong Kong. Blooms all year round, especially in autumn and spring, spectacular amid the fresh green of the surrounding vegetation (mostly 5ft and below in height -so the plant has very little shade cover at all). The hillside has many small natural watercourses and a very sand-rich soil content ( I suspect also quite acid soil, though have no proof for this). Occasional hill fires due to carelessness on twice-yearly 'grave sweeping' festivals seem only to promote its growth. So far this is the only spot I have noticed bamboo orchid growing on this island, but a friend has had success transplanting one into a pot.

Bamboo orchids grow wild in the old cane fields and along the sides of the roads all over the east side of the Big Island. In some areas they were planted purposely as cattle fodder!!

I could not believe that when I first came to Hawaii and would collect them by the side of the road to put in vases.....my son would tease me that I was robbing some cow of her food.

They develop little "sucker bulbs" along the stem which later will show some roots. These little sucker bulbs can be planted and new plants will grow. Delicate little blooms that last only one day, but one stem might have several buds that will continue blooming until all are spent.

I live in North Central Florida (Gainesville), and grow this plant in a pot in a screened pool area. I bought it because I'm a bit of an orchid collector, and it has flowered for me every year (5 yrs.). I like it, but, for much of the year, it just looks like a pot of bamboo-like grass on my deck! Does anybody know if I can get away with planting it in the ground in a sheltered area here? Thanks.

It´s called Bamboo Orchid because of the bamboo-like look of the leaves and stem. It´s not a bamboo, but an orchid. The pseudobuld is stem-like, reaching up to 3m tall, with pleated, lanceolate, fibrous leaves. It likes warm places and full sun, but does very well in greehouses or half-shaded places. It also prefers constantly moist soil. You can plant it near pools and lakes. New pseudobulbs grow every year.

The flowers come on the tip of the pseudobulbs. They are pale pink, with a really pink labellum with yellow details. Each pseudobulb usualy gives one flower each time, but they bloom constantly one after another.