This orchid, Habenaria radiata, (syn. Pecteilis radiata) is from Asia and is one of the most delicate and lovely of the terrestrial orchids commonly used as an accent for bonsai. It grows from a bulb that over-winters without leaves. A couple years ago I put two bulbs in this pot and they’ve trebled in number, sending up six flower stalks this summer. The photo is informal, but I hope you get a feel for the floating quality of the 1″ flowers. They are breathtaking in person.
I plant Egret flower in straight kanuma and keep it in sun or light shade, and they flower in late august in Portland, Oregon, lasting a couple weeks. It seems to grow better along with other plants such as grass or reed. Keep moist, it is a bog/marsh plant. You might wrap each bulb lightly in a bit of spagnum when inserting in the kanuma to keep them from drying. Egret flower takes light frosts without problems. I leave the bulbs in the pots and they come up in the spring.
Hopefully you don’t mind postings of accent plants… I think bonsai yards are missing something important without them interspersed on the benches. You can keep accents elsewhere when not doing something interesting, and then put them up on the benches when they are putting on a show.
Egret flowers with stonecrop and grass.
How they do soar! 12 in bloom, 5 more in bud. Two days later I had 16 in bloom...
