(Thanks to Mike Co.)
Bletilla striata (Chinese Ground Orchid) is a terrestrial orchid currently growing in profusion in the Olympic Tower garden. Seattle’s mild climate can match the native locales for the orchid: Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Okinawa and many provinces of central China. In the Pacific Northwest this orchid prefers the cooler summer temperatures and higher humidity that allow the plant to tolerate full sun. In hotter inland climates it needs shading.
The orchid has spikes of rosy-purple flowers that appear in late spring. The photos below show the plants now flowering at Skyline. They arise from bulbs and spread underground. The large number of flowers are from six bulbs planted about four years ago. The Bletilla dies back naturally in autumn and reemerges reliably in spring once soil temperatures rise.
Check them out in the fourth-floor garden of the Olympic Tower. As you exit the door, they’ll be in the bed immediately to your right.
