Pleione Glacier Peak

The Pleione hybrid 'Glacier Peak' is a small orchid that will delight collectors with its spring flowers, which are large for a Pleione. With a characteristic shape, these white flowers have a tubular and fringed labellum, the inside of which is yellow and speckled with orange-brown. It is a rhizomatous orchid that develops pseudobulbs as reserve organs. Semi-hardy, requiring a dry winter rest, this variety is easier to cultivate in a pot. In regions with mild winters, it can be planted between rocks in a semi-shaded rockery in a pocket of compost protected from winter rains.

Pleione 'Glacier Peak' is a hybrid resulting from the cross-breeding of the Alba Pleione formosana and P. grandiflora. All Pleiones are Asian plants native to high-altitude subtropical rainforests. They belong to the orchid family. These orchids are more easily cultivated in a cool greenhouse with a period of winter dormancy. Although biologically more epiphytic (growing on trees), Pleiones can also be grown in well-drained compost like other garden orchids (Cypripediums, for example).

Pleione 'Glacier Peak' has deciduous foliage, absent in winter. An adult plant measures approximately 25cm (10in) in all directions. From the end of winter, sometimes already in March, the plant produces new young shoots. Flowering takes place in April-May. Each bulb produces one or two flower stalks, each bearing a solitary flower measuring approximately 12cm (5in). Each flower is composed of long and slender sepals and petals surrounding a large fringed trumpet-shaped labellum. After flowering, this orchid produces leaves as well as new pseudobulbs emerging from the initial pseudobulb. The 15cm (6in) long leaves are lanceolate, elliptical, and folded, with a medium green colour. In autumn, the leaves turn yellow and fall, and the plant enters winter dormancy. The plant survives thanks to the reserves contained in its pseudobulbs. In the following spring, the new bulb(s) will form new ones, allowing the pleione to expand over the years.

Plant Pleione 'Glacier Peak' in partial shade, sheltered from the wind, in a light, humus-rich soil that remains slightly moist from spring to the end of summer. Plant it in a cool rockery between rocks, alongside Cypripedium, Bletilla, and small ferns. Due to its low hardiness, it is advisable to protect the base from harsh winter conditions and excessive moisture. This plant thrives in large pots, which should be overwintered in a cool greenhouse without watering.

Tips: After flowering, it is essential not to let the soil dry out as this is when the pseudobulb grows and multiplies.

When receiving your orchids, handle them with care: these plants produce few roots and are delicate!