Despite their reputation for being difficult, many orchids can be easy to grow as houseplants.
Moth Orchids
Widely available and affordable,moth orchidsare some of the longest-blooming orchids.
In fact, one bloom spike can look great for four months or more.
Credit: Matt Clark
Promote more and larger blooms byfeeding moth orchidsmonthly with a fertilizer formulated for orchids.
Try moving them to a cooler area of your home each night, like a basement.
Fertilize them monthly with a plant food formulated for orchids.
Credit: Doug Hetherington
How to Grow Them:Oncidiums do best in medium to bright light.
Water weekly and feed them monthly in spring and summer with orchid fertilizer.
How to Grow Them:Cymbidiumorchids flower best if given a spot in bright light.
Credit: Denny Schrock
In fact, you could even bring them outdoors to a shady spot for the summer.
Water them weekly to keep them from drying out.
Get them to bloom best by fertilizing them monthly in spring and summer.
Credit: Doug Hetherington
They’ll give you a bigger display for a longer period of time.
Some selections feature eye-catching markings in other colors.
How to Grow Them:Cattleya orchids do best in medium or bright, but indirect light.
Credit: Marty Baldwin
verify they get plenty of light so they rebloom quickly.
Jewel Orchid
This beauty isn’t usually grown for its flowers.
Instead, it’s thelovely purple foliagewith pink stripes that attracts attention.
Credit: Doug Hetherington
How to Grow Them:Jewel orchid (Ludisia discolor) does best in low to medium light.
Give it a drink once every week or two.
If you want, feed it with an orchid fertilizer once a month.
Credit: Peter Krumhardt
Clamshell Orchid
Here’s another wonderfully distinct, easy-growing orchid.
Clamshell orchid produces purple, clam-shape flowers with chartreuse sepals that look a bit like tropical tentacles.
The flowers last a long time and a mature plant produces lots of blossoms.
Credit: Doug Hetherington
In fact, it can be in bloom all year long.
How to Grow Them:Clamshell orchid (Encyclia cochleata) grows best in low to bright light.
Water once every week or two so the orchid mix just dries between waterings.
Credit: Doug Hetherington
Encourage more blooms by giving it orchid fertilizer once a month or so.
How to Grow Them:Nun’s orchid (Phaius tankervilleae) thrives in medium to bright light.
Water it weekly from spring to fall; water every other week or so in winter.
Credit: Jay Graham
Encourage better blooming by feeding it weekly in spring and summer with an orchid fertilizer.
Otherwise the magnificent foliage may develop brown edges.
How to Grow Them:Odontoglossums (often called odonts) thrive in medium or bright light.
Credit: Don Bartletti/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
Check into a variety’s ease of care before taking it home.
‘Sharry Baby,’ like all oncidiums, boasts flower stalks that are bejeweled with dozens of petite blossoms.
How to Grow Them:‘Sharry Baby’ thrives in intermediate light, temperature, and moisture.
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An east window or slightly shaded south window will provide just the right amount of light.
Let the surface the growing media (usually moss or bark)just barely dry out before watering.
Test Garden Tip:If you are comfortable with the indoor temperature, ‘Sharry Baby’ will thrive.
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Use your comfort as an indicator of the right temperature for your orchid.
Count on it to bloom in fall or winter and then again sporadically in spring.
Allow the soil to dry out slightly before watering.
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A location that is 10 F cooler at night than the daytime temperature is ideal.
‘Rosy Dawn’ has more pronounced coloring in summer and takes on a pale white hue in winter.
This variety can be hard to find for sale, so if you spot it, snap it up.
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How to Grow Them:Slipper orchidsgrow well in low light.
An east window is ideal.
West or south windows can be used if they are shaded by a sheer curtain.
‘Rosy Dawn’, like most slipper orchids, grow best when their soil is kept evenly moist.
Don’t let these orchids dry out between waterings.
A reddish tinge on the edges means you gotta move the plant to a location with less sunlight.
Phalaenopsis hieroglyphica
Large flowers in rich colors make thisPhalaenopsis, or moth orchid, a favorite.
An east-facing window is perfect for this orchid.Phalaenopsisorchids alsolove humidity.
Increase the humidity around your plants by setting them on low dishes filled with small stones.
Fill the dish with water until just below the top of the stones.
Set the orchid on top of the stones.
Test Garden Tip:Use room temperature water when watering.
Phalaenopsis gigantea
This is a moth orchid with a big presence.
The parent of many orchids, it’s known for its mottled, showy flowers.
How to Grow Them:Phalaenopsis giganteagrows best in low light.
Place it in an east or north-facing window.
Consistently moist but not wet soil is preferred.
Test Garden Tip:Pale, silvery green leaves are typical forPhalaenopsis gigantea.
