CYMBIDIUM ORCHIDS
Cymbidium (pronounced sim-bid-ee-urn) must rank as one of the best known and widely popular of all orchids. Cymibidium is the Latin translation of kumbidion, Greek for little boat, alluding to the flower shape.
The genus consists of about 50 species and, from these, thousands of hybrids have been bred. The more common types have 8 -10 large broad-petalled flowers on long stems, and come in green, white shades and pink. They are available all year round except in September.
The wild types are found growing naturally in China, and Japan through the Himalayas, South East Asia to Australia. They may be terrestrial in habit or epiphytic or even lithophytic (growing on rocks). Cymbidium is the oldest cultivated orchid, and there is evidence that they were grown in China 2500 years ago in records from 500 BC at the time of Confucius. It is one of the easiest orchids to cultivate and, provided that certain rules are stuck to, it will flower year after year.
They can last several weeks. They like cool air and regular misting, and are sensitive to ethylene gas so keep them away from fruit, vegetables and dying flowers. Snip off old flower heads.
Related Flowers : Gladioli gladiolus Flowers Heleniums or Sneezeweeds Flowers Grapevines Flowers Heliconias Flowers Grass grasses Flowers Hellebores Flowers Hawthorns Flowers Hyacinths Flowers Hazels Flowers Hydrangeas Flowers
