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Collector's item

Pleione Tongariro

Pleione x hybrida Tongariro
Windowsill orchid, Formosan pleione, Taiwan orchid

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This plant carries a 12 months recovery warranty

More information

Magnificent cultivar with intense colors. This small orchid is most often grown in a pot, which allows it to be wintered almost dry, protected from frost. Its flowers bloom in April-May, at the same time as the leaves unfold. Their petals and sepals are bright fuchsia, the fringed trumpet-shaped lip is striped with deep red and white on the inside. Preferably cultivate in an orchid substrate. In a very dry rockery in winter, it can withstand short frosts from -8 to -10 °C (17.6 to 14°F).
Flower size
8 cm
Height at maturity
15 cm
Spread at maturity
30 cm
Exposure
Partial shade
Hardiness
Hardy down to -6°C
Soil moisture
Moist soil
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Best planting time March to April
Recommended planting time March to May
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Flowering time April
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Description

Pleione 'Tongariro' is an exceptionally colourful hybrid variety, undoubtedly originating from the Formosan Pleione. This delicate terrestrial orchid charms with its early, vibrant pink flowers, which are large in relation to the plant. Its fuchsia pink flowers have a lip that is striped with purple-red and white. Cold-sensitive and requiring a dry winter rest, this pleione is more easily grown in a pot with an orchid substrate, which allows it to overwinter in good conditions. In regions with very mild winters, it can be installed between the stones of a semi-shaded rockery protected from winter rains.

Pleione 'Tongariro' is an Asian cultivar. Its wild ancestor, Pleione formosana, is a botanical species native to the subtropical mountain forests of Taiwan. In nature, it grows in the humus that accumulates between mossy rocks, and even in the hollow of a trunk, in a humid atmosphere. Therefore, it is a plant with specific soil and climate requirements. All Pleiones belong to the orchid family. These orchids are more easily cultivated in a cold greenhouse with a winter rest period. Pleiones can be grown in a well-drained soil mix like other garden orchids (Cypripediums, for example) with a few precautions, in temperate regions where winters are mild and summers are cool.

Pleione 'Tongariro' has a smooth, dark green to purple pseudobulb and develops deciduous foliage, absent in winter. An adult plant measures about 15-20cm (6-8in) in height. From the end of winter, sometimes already in March, the plant produces new young shoots. Flowering occurs in April, at the same time as the young leaves emerge from the ground. Each bulb produces one or two flowering stems, each carrying a solitary flower measuring about 8cm (3in). Each flower is composed of long sepals and petals of a very bright fuchsia pink, surrounding a large fringed trumpet-shaped lip of the same colour, striped with red and purple on a white background. After flowering, this orchid produces leaves and new pseudobulbs that arise from the initial pseudobulb. The 15cm (6in) long leaves are lanceolate and elliptical in shape, plicate and of medium green colour. In autumn, the leaves turn yellow and fall, and the plant enters winter dormancy. It survives thanks to the reserves contained in its pseudobulbs. In the following spring, the new bulbs formed will produce others, allowing the Pleione to grow over the years.

Plant Pleione 'Tongariro' in a partially shaded, wind-protected area, in an orchid substrate or a light, humus-rich, sandy soil that remains slightly moist from spring to the end of summer. Plant it in a fresh rockery between rocks, alongside Cypripedium, Bletilla, small ferns. Due to its low hardiness, it is essential to protect the base from winter moisture. This plant is often grown in large pots, which will be overwintered in a cold greenhouse with minimal watering.

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

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

Pleione Tongariro in pictures

Pleione Tongariro (Flowering) Flowering
Pleione Tongariro (Foliage) Foliage
Pleione Tongariro (Plant habit) Plant habit

Flowering

Flower colour pink
Flowering time April
Inflorescence Solitary
Flower size 8 cm

Foliage

Foliage persistence Deciduous
Foliage colour medium green

Plant habit

Height at maturity 15 cm
Spread at maturity 30 cm
Growth rate normal

Botanical data

Genus

Pleione

Species

x hybrida

Cultivar

Tongariro

Family

Orchidaceae

Other common names

Windowsill orchid, Formosan pleione, Taiwan orchid

Origin

Cultivar or hybrid

Product reference173661

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Planting and care

Pleione 'Tongariro' likes very sheltered environments, partial shade, light humus, always remaining slightly moist between March and September, but dry during winter. In case of winter humidity combined with frost, the rootstock will rot. In very dry soil, the young plant can withstand a short frost of around -8 to -10 °C (17.6 to 14°F) at most. In rock gardens, winter protection is essential against the cold, but also against humidity. To do this, a layer of 20cm (8in) of leaf compost or shredded bark will be placed on the stump, and a waterproof cover on top of this carpet. Cultivating in large pots or planters is quite possible, in an orchid substrate or in a mixture of 60% heath soil, 20% horticultural compost, 20% coarse sand. Pleiones are quite nutrient-demanding during the growing season: a weekly application of geranium-type fertilizer at half dose from mid-May to mid-September will be very beneficial.

Pleiones dislike limestone, hot and dry summers, wind, dry atmospheres, cold and humid winters.

The rhizome located at the base of the plant should not be completely buried: it should protrude at least half of its height. Watering should be done with non-limestone and non-chlorinated water.

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Planting period

Best planting time March to April
Recommended planting time March to May

Intended location

Suitable for Shaded rockery
Type of use Container
Hardiness Hardy down to -6°C (USDA zone 9a) Show map
Ease of cultivation Experienced
Planting density 7 per m2
Exposure Partial shade
Soil pH Acidic, Neutral
Soil type Silty-loamy (rich and light)
Soil moisture Moist soil, Light, humus-bearing, well-drained, dry in winter

Care

Pruning No pruning necessary
Disease resistance Good
Overwinter Needs to be stored

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