Ultra Mini Phalaenopsis

I don’t typically do Phals because (1) I am an over-waterer, and (2) you can get a great looking phal at any local grocery store.  But these aren’t those.  I’ve got four ultra mini phals that are mounted (don’t have to worry about over-watering), cute as a bug, and growing great for me which was a big surprise.  All of them are growing in moderate light and intermediate to hotter than hell temperatures (55-100 degrees F). For the home grower, you should expect to water/mist these guys every day or put them in some kind of terrarium where they won’t dry out as quickly

If you are a species lover, you have probably seen or at least heard of Phalaenopsis parishii.  P. parishii is a beautiful little guy who is so well loved that he has been used in a lot of hybrids, too.  P. parishii has a white “top” and a showy violet-red lip.

Phalaenopsis honghenensis has more star-shaped flowers in light purple.  Pumpkin Beth does a great job of describing this munchkin of a plant and includes some spectacular photos.

Phalaenopsis thailandica gave me pause because it’s considered semi-deciduous.  I read that as “I don’t know if I’ve killed it.”  Many of the pictures I saw online were not encouraging, but he has been growing beautifully for me!  Leaves look great, roots look great, and I feel great that I took the chance on him.  The flower shape is almost identical to P. parishii, but the lip is white with two distinctive egg yolk yellow spots. Just adorable!  Finally, I just added

Phalaenopsis wilsonii to the collection.  The flowers can vary from nearly white to lavender with a darker lip. I don’t know where these guys lie in that color spectrum because I just got them.  The flower shape is star-like, similar to P. honghenensis.  This guy should be an easy grower for all temperatures, and the plants have big root systems.