General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit: Herb/Forb
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Partial or Dappled Shade
Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 10a -1.1 °C (30 °F) to +1.7 °C (35 °F)
Plant Height: 24 inches
Plant Spread: 24 - 36 inches
Leaves: Evergreen
Flowers: Showy
Flower Color: Mauve
Pink
Purple
White
Yellow
Multi-Color: almost any color depending on the variety
Flower Time: Late winter or early spring
Spring
Late spring or early summer
Summer
Late summer or early fall
Fall
Late fall or early winter
Winter
Underground structures: Bulb
Uses: Groundcover
Wildlife Attractant: Bees
Butterflies
Propagation: Other methods: Division
Other: psuedobulbs
Containers: Suitable in 1 gallon
Suitable in 3 gallon or larger
Needs excellent drainage in pots

Image
Common names
  • Philippine Ground Orchid
  • Ground Orchid
  • Boat Orchid
  • Philippine Orchid
Botanical names
  • Accepted: Spathoglottis plicata
  • Synonym: Spathoglottis grandifolia
  • Synonym: Spathoglottis papuana var. puberiflora
  • Synonym: Spathoglottis wariana

Photo Gallery
Location: El Yunque National Forest, Puerto Rico
Date: March 17, 2024

Date: 2022-08-31
'Berry Banana'
Location: Enterprise, AL  Z8b
Date: 2021-10-17
Location: Costa Rica
Date: 2022-12-21
Photo by sugarcane
Location: Martin County Florida zone 10
Date: Jul 25, 2009 11:17 AM
close up
Photo by hawkarica
Photo by Livy
Location: Garfield Conservatory Chicago
Date: 2019-01-01
Location: Daytona Beach, Florida
Date: October 13, 2011
Fully opened bloom @ 11:00 p.m.
Location: La Fortuna, Costa Rica | Old Photo
Date: 2022-12-21
Location: Cano Negro, Costa Rica | December 2022
Date: 2022-12-19
Location: Plano, TX
Date: 2016-02-03
Location: La Fortuna, Costa Rica | Old Photo
Date: 2022-12-21
Photo by hawkarica
Location: Daytona Beach, Florida
Date: 2014-07-28
Location: Winter Springs, FL zone 9b
Date: 2016-01-12
Location: Parchur, Andhra Pradesh, India
Date: 24nov2015
Location: Cano Negro, Costa Rica | December 2022
Date: 2022-12-19
Photo by hawkarica
Photo by Dinu
Location: Plano, TX
Date: 2016-01-17
Location: Martin County Florida zone 10
Date: Jul 25, 2009 11:15 AM
Location: Plano, TX
Date: 2017-12-11
First flower spike of the season.
Location: Plano, TX
Date: 2017-12-11
Flower and buds with drops of nectar on them.

Date: October 15, 2011

Date: c. 1885
illustration by P. de Pannemaeker from 'Lindenia', vol. 1, 1885
Location: Cano Negro, Costa Rica | December 2022
Date: 2022-12-19
Photo by dyzzypyxxy
Location: Daytona Beach, Florida
Date: October 13, 2011
Location: Mysore, India
Date: 24th November 2014, morning
Spathoglottis plicata
Location: Mysore, India
Date: Nov 2014
Close-up
Location: Daytona Beach, Florida
Date: October 13, 2011
Photo by hawkarica
Location: Daytona Beach, Florida
Date: 2012-10-25
Location: Martin County Florida zone 10
Date: Nov 16, 2010 3:47 PM
blooms
Photo by drdawg
Location: Lindon Utah
Date: 2011-10-29
Pink variety at a National chain store
Location: Martin County Florida zone 10
Date: Jul 25, 2009 11:14 AM
yet another color
Location: South Florida
Date: 2012-08-04
In the heat of summer, my ground orchids are blooming profusely.
Photo by robertduval14

photo credit: Jeevan Jose, Kerala, India
Location: Daytona Beach, Florida
Date: October 13, 2011
Location: Daytona Beach, Florida
Date: October 13, 2011
Location: Daytona Beach, Florida
Date: 2012-10-25
Location: Holmes Beach FL
Date: 2014-11-13
This plant has been in bloom for over 6 months!
Location: Martin County Florida zone 10
Date: Nov 16, 2010 3:46 PM
Location: Martin County Florida zone 10
Date: Nov 16, 2010 3:46 PM
another color
Location: Martin County Florida zone 10
Date: Nov 16, 2010 3:45 PM
entire plant
Location: Daytona Beach, Florida
Date: 2014-07-28

Date: c. 1838
illustration by Miss Drake from 'Edwards's Botanical Register', 1
Location: Martin County Florida zone 10
Date: Jun 6, 2010 7:37 AM
yellow
Location: Daytona Beach, Florida
Date: 2014-09-30
Photo by piksihk
This plant is tagged in:
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Comments:
  • Posted by plantladylin (Sebastian, Florida - Zone 10a) on Oct 15, 2011 7:23 PM concerning plant:
    Spathoglottis plicata, a terrestrial (ground) orchid is an evergreen perennial plant popular in tropical and subtropical gardens. Used as a ground cover or as a container plant, it forms clumps of crowded pseudobulbs just below the soil surface. The arching leaves grow up to 24" in length and clusters of flowers are borne at the end of tall spikes emerging from the base of the pseudobulbs. Ground Orchids prefer high humidity, a bright shady location and well draining potting medium. Spent bloom spikes should be removed to promote continuous blooming.
Plant Events from our members
piksihk On October 2, 2023 Obtained plant
piksihk On July 27, 2018 Plant Ended (Removed, Died, Discarded, etc)
piksihk On September 7, 2015 Transplanted
HW
piksihk On June 6, 2015 Obtained plant
tabbycat On March 1, 2024 Bloomed
About 10 shoots in pot & all starting to bloom. Bloomed 1 month.
tabbycat On February 14, 2023 Bloomed
So Pretty! Bloomed all of March '23
tabbycat On February 1, 2022 Bloomed
Bloomed all Feb. on a 10" plant in a pot. Note almost finished March 25 & produced a seed Ill watch
tabbycat On December 14, 2021 Obtained plant
I potted on the patio.
MySecretIslandGarden On July 30, 2022 Bloomed
All of the various ground orchids are blooming
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