Coelogyne chinensis 'Sweetwater Delight' AM-CCM/AOS ~ Photo by Ramon De Los Santos
If the American Orchid Society had an award for cuteness, Coelogyne chinensis would be a sure winner! The orchid above was purchased as Pholidota chinensis and has been found for sale under various names: Coelogyne corniculata, Coelogyne pholas, Coelogyne primulina and Pleione corniculata. So why do orchid names change? Evidently over recent decades, DNA analysis has revealed that some species thought to be distinct are actually closely related resulting in reclassification into the same genus or species. Even though this is often confusing to orchid enthusiasts, it is all part of the scientific process.
Native to China (hence 'chinensis') and Vietnam, Coelogyne chinensis can produce many pendulous spikes with up to 20 creamy beige to peachy or even white 3/4-inch flowers on each inflorescence. The flowers are mildly fragrant.
Not a particularly tall plant - up to about 12 inches- a healthy Coelogyne chinensis can become quite leafy fairly quickly. It grows on damp rocks near streams and is also found growing as an epiphyte on rain forest trees. Tolerant of a reasonable temperature range, this orchid grows cool to intermediate to warm from a low of 40F to a high of 95F and will thrive in light shade as well as bright indirect light. Each translucent pseudobulb is egg-shaped (ovoid) and contains 3 lanceolate leaves (leaves are longer than they are wide) with the inflorescence emerging from the apex (top) of the new growth as it develops new leaves in the spring.
My specimen has turned out to be an easy, fast grower as long as I maintain certain conditions. I snagged the last one available at our 2022 SOS spring show and worried about what to do to encourage its negligible and rather fragile root system after I got it home.
Multiple internet sources advise that Coelogyne chinensis likes lots of moisture and humidity but needs perfect drainage. I opted to repot mine into a small, slotted plastic basket with coconut fiber (coco coir) as the only media. Apparently, this was the right decision as my plant immediately began growing new roots and continues to do well to this day.
2" & 3" plastic basket pots with coco coir. Used for previous yearly repotting.
I've repotted again twice, adding more coconut fiber and sizing up to an appropriate slotted, plastic basket pot to accommodate the new pseudobulbs it produced following each flowering.
Likes to have roots growing outside. That’s OK. Look at those gorgeous healthy leaves!
Since the spikes are pendulous, mine hangs in the greenhouse close to the misters and receives good air movement from circulation fans. I find that the roots are aways moist but never soggy or suffocated.
It is advised to be careful with fertilizer as the fine roots can be easily damaged by salt buildup. I use MSU rainwater formula weakly weekly combined with a mild probiotic solution and liquid kelp once a month. I flush with plain water once a month. It is likely that the positioning of my plant under the misters combined with the open basket pot and coco coir prevents damage from salt buildup.
A funny thing about my plant is that the inflorescences start growing early enough in late winter that I am teased into thinking it will bloom for the show. I watch and watch as it steadily grows with the promise of producing a floral extravaganza only to have not a single bud open for the show. These last two years the buds have popped open 3 days after the show.
Perhaps the only downside to Coelogyne chinensis is that the blooms may last only about two weeks. However, the long bud development period, rapid growth and overall beauty of the entire plant (no dead or spotted leaves) make this orchid a pleasure to watch and well worth owning.
To sum it all up: Although my Coelogyne/Pholidota chinensis was initially a rather worrisome purchase, it has developed into an award winning super adorable specimen plant in just 3 years! Definitely give this cutie a try if you have the chance!
