Epipactis phyllanthes, also called as Green-flowered helleborine is found growing on dry to moist calcareous, alkaline substrates in dunes, scrub...
Epipactis phyllanthes, also called as Green-flowered helleborine, Epipactis cambrensis, Epipactis confusa, Epipactis fageticola, Epipactis helleborine subsp. confusa, Epipactis helleborine subsp. phyllanthes, Epipactis pendula, Epipactis vectensis, is a species of the genus Epipactis. This species was described by Gerard Edwards Smith in 1852.
IDENTIFY EPIPACTIS PHYLLANTHES - GREEN-FLOWERED HELLEBORINE
Epipactis phyllanthes is native to Western and Northwestern Europe. It is found growing on dry to moist calcareous, alkaline substrates in dunes, scrub, beech, oak and conifer forests of Andorra, Belgium, Portugal, Spain, France, Britain, Ireland, Germany and Denmark at elevations of 0-200 meters above sea level.
It is a small to medium sized, cold growing terrestrial which reaching 7-50 cm in height with short rhizome. The stem, which is thick and flushed purple towards the base, sometimes has sparse short hairs. The leaves are up to 16, bright-green, well spaced along the stem; they are variable in shape and rather small, becoming more bract-like higher up.
Green-flowered helleborine blooms in late spring and summer from the terminal, erect, to 15 cm long, laxly, 5-35-flowered inflorescence. The flowers are green overall. The sepals are oval and elongated, pale green with a prominent central rib. The petals are smaller and whiter. The lip is divided into two sections. The inner section (hypochile) is a dull olive and almost transparent, with the inner cup being light green or bright green. The outer section (epichile) is heart shaped with a pointed tip that is folded backwards, and there are two white bosses at the base separated by a deep groove.
EPIPACTIS PHYLLANTHES - GREEN-FLOWERED HELLEBORINE CARE AND CULTURE
Cultural information should only be used as a guide, and should be to be adapted to suit you. Your physical location; where you grow your plants, how much time you have to devote to their care, and many other factors, will need to be taken into account. Only then can you decide on the cultural methods that best suit you and your plants.
Light:
Epipactis phyllanthes are best positioned in an area that attracts partial sunlight as they will thrive better in shady spaces. These plants can be planted in full sunlight on condition that the substrate is prevented from becoming dry in summer.
Humidity:
Green-flowered helleborine needs the humidity level of 40-70%. Too dry air has a negative effect on the development of the plant: its growth is inhibited, and the leaves begin to turn yellow and dry out. The higher temperature, the higher the humidity should be, and the higher the humidity, the more often and longer it is necessary to ventilate the room where the plants are contained, otherwise the probability of rotting and various kinds of fungal diseases.
If the humidity levels are consistently too low, consider buying a humidifier to increase the humidity level. Another way of increasing humidity is by setting your plants on trays filled with pebbles or gravel and with water, but plants should not be in contact with the water.
Temperature:
The plant grow best at summer days average of 22-25 °C, and nights average 17-19 °C, with a diurnal range of 5- 8°C. Winter days average 14-16 °C, and nights average 9-11 °C, with a diurnal range of 5-7 °C.
Substrate and growing media:
Epipactis phyllanthes tolerate many conditions as long as pH is neutral, between 5.5 and 7 . They are best planted in moist well-drained soil of clay, chalk or loam within an acidic, alkaline or neutral PH balance. At the time of planting you may wish to supplement native soil with a generous amount of compost to maintain good moisture levels in the summer and to promote better drainage during the winter. You can use many media such as pumice gravel, coarse sand , loam and clay (max 5 %) , peat, fen soil , sphagnum , coco peat, oyster shells . Organics preferable less than 20 %.
Repotting is done once in two to three years in autumn, winter and spring when still dormant, or in late spring when growths have reached maturity.
Watering:
Green-flowered helleborine require consistently moist soil to thrive and so therefore it is vital to water plants regularly throughout active growth and during prolonged periods of dry weather. Do not let your plants dry out at any time of the year, even during autumn and winter. Soil may not be too wet in full summer, risk of anaerobic soils. Warm compost with standing water is very dangerous! Rainwater is advisable, otherwise good quality tap water chlorine poor. Good oxygen rich water is essential.
Watering is directly dependent on the temperature of the content, the higher it is, the more often it needs to be watered. When watering, excess water should flow freely from the pot, since stagnation of water both inside the pot and in its pan can very quickly lead to rotting of the roots and the lower part of the plant.
Fertilizer:
The plant is an easy strong growing orchid, that needs more fertiliser as other species, so one may use a good quality chemical fertiliser in growing phase, dissolved in the water as a surplus. As basic fertiliser you can use slow release grains once a year, 10 grains per mature plant in spring when shoots break through the surface.
Rest period:
During the winter, Epipactis phyllanthes persists in rhizome form and develops new shoots in the spring. They are the very cold-resistant and do not require any special protection in winter. It is possible to propagate by seed or by division once the plants are well-established. Highly proliferative, these orchids will quickly form colonies of several hundred head following the successive growth and dormancy cycles.
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