75 Trendy Plants for 2021 in the Philippines (Part 2)

Plantdemic and the plant craze among plantiquarians, plantitos, plantitas, halamoms, batang halaman will extend from 2021 and early part of 2022.

Some plant farm owners and industry experts believes that there will be some price adjustments for some of the well loved plants that people fancy for most part of 2020.

75 Trendy Plants for 2021

Cymbidium Hybrids

69.) Orchids – Dendrobium hybrids, Vanda hybrids, Cattleya hybrids and allies,Oncidium ( dancing ladies or dancing dolls) hybrids, Cymbidium hybrids, Phalenopsis hybrids, Catasetum hybrids, Vanilla orchid, and native orchid species will still be popular among backyard hobbyists, amateur collector and hospitality industry will need a lot of these flowering plants.

Flowering orchids like Dendrobium hybids, Phalenopsis hybrids, Mokara, Cymbidium hybrids are in much demand as their bloom can last between two weeks to at least a month (with proper care and maintenance).

Vanilla orchid at Sidcor Centris Sunday Market in Quezon City

Growing orchids is still popular hobby and there are several FB group with tens of thousand of member, forum sites and other social media sites which caters to the proliferation of this hobby and how to grow these plants. There are a lot of misconception, myths and fantasy on orchids that there are people who still regard growing them as therapeutic, business, lucky, challenge or just for aesthetic purposes.

Aerides quinquivulnera species

Native orchids are also popular. However, there are some issues that one must always take into consideration. Getting your native orchids in the wild poses threat to the survival of many of these plants. Be sure that the orchids are from reputable orchid dealer, farm or had been cultivated for a long time by the grower.

Old cultivar varieties like Dendrobium Jacquelyn Thomas which was developed way back in the 1970’s, Dendrobium University of Hawaii, Dendrobium Caesar, Dendrobium bigibbum hybrids are slowly making a come back in the local market. These old hybrid cultivar varieties are quite hardy in the long rainy climate and their flowers are long lasting.

Vanda merrillii ( photo courtesy of Mr. Lebon Ong and Mr. Ramon Calado)

Some native orchids will not survive the hot climatic conditions of the lowlands, While there are some endangered orchids still traded online. Try to read books, magazines, literature and online sites which can give accurate information.

Native orchids and fern allies

For long time collectors and hobbyists would refer any jungle collected plants or orchids as Gubatum/ Gubatum Harbatum/ Hablotii.

There is also a surge in people interested in native orchid species, Aerides quinquivulnera, Dendrobium anosmum, Dendrobium aphyllum, Vanda sanderiana, Vanda lamellata, jewel orchid, terrestrial orchid.

Proof to the pudding is that some well known and established orchid farms located in Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Cavite, Batangas, Laguna,Davao,Cebu, Quezon and Cagayan de Oro are expanding.

What to look for ? miniature orchids, jewel orchids, ground orchids, old cultivar, crosses, varieties and new orchid hybrids are in trend.

Do not forget to visit this blog for more plants in the list ! Happy New Year 2021.

Sources, Reference, Bibliographies:

Hansen Eric, Orchid Fever: A Horticultural Tale of Love, Lust, and Lunacy Paperback – Illustrated, February 27, 2001

Personal Interview among plant center owners, Orchid and Plant Lovers of the Philippines FB, Mindanao Avenue Garden Center, Fairview Neopolitan Garden Center, Cartimar Garden Center, White Plains, Bulacan Garden, Arid and Aroid’s Farm, Quezon City Memorial Circle, Tabang -Guiguinto Plant growers, GreenScapes Garden Center– Novaliches, Farmer’s Garden Center -Cubao, Sidcor -Eaton Centris Sunday Market, Rona’s Garden.

For additional information of the 75 Trendy Plants in the Philippines for 2021 (part 1) please click the hyperlink.

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Highlights of the 71st Philippine Orchid Society’s Mid-Year Orchid and Garden Show

One of the highlight of the 71st Philippine Orchid Society’s Mid-Year Orchid and Garden Show are the winners of individual plant and orchid competition.

Ms. Evangeline ” Vangie” Go won ” Best Orchid in Show”, ” Best Vandaceous Alliance”, “Best Philippine Species ” , ” Best Other Genera-Monopodial ” on a native orchid species that is commonly grown in many parts of the country.

The big specimen sized orchid Aerides quinquevulnera or Aerides quinquevulnerum with at least thousands of flowers. Sometimes people looked down upon native orchid species for having small flowers , sometimes flowering only once a year or just ordinary ones.

The small flowers have a pleasant smell and if grown properly can be a show stopper. Lovely and very photogenic and instagramers would surely like every nook and cranny of the exhibit.

Aside from the bragging rights, Ms. Evangeline ” Vangie” Go also won 3rd place “Best Orchid Landscape ” exhibit, She got several glass awards and cash incentives

The show is from September 2 to 16, 2017 and  open from 8:00 am until 6:00 pm and daily lectures or talks starts at 2:00 pm. Minimal entrance fees of Php 30 general public and Php 20 senior citizens and students with valid ID’s.

 

Flowering Aerides quinquevulnera

Aerides quinquevulnera sometimes called Aerides quinquevulnerum  is one of the most commonly gathered and grown orchid species in the country. They are among the most beautiful  genus of orchids, many of them uniting every good quality that a plant can possess, viz., rich, evergreen, and regularly curved foliage; a graceful habit, flowers deliciously scented, and of peculiar elegance.

Aerides quinquevulnera

There is a big specimen clump of the orchid at the stall of Mabuhay Orchids during the last orchid show ( August 25 to September 5, 2016) This specimen orchid had over a dozen spikes with hundreds of flowers.

Aerides quinquevulnera exhibited by Purificacion Orchids

The large sized, hot to intermediate growing monopodial epiphyte occurring at elevations of about 250 meters to over 2,000 meters in bright light locations that has lorate, leathery leaves that are apically bilobed and blooms on a densely many flowered, 1 1/2

flowers 

The orchid used to be  classified by botanists as endemic in the Philippines on orchid books written until the early 1990’s,  Until new specimens were discovered in Malaysia, Indonesia and even in Papua New Guinea .

The orchid is normally mistaken for  Aerides odorata , but there are some minute differences on flowers and size. One of easiest way to differentiate the two species is the serration on the side of the mid lobe (lip). Aer. odorata has none to few irregular serrations, where as for Aerides quinquevulnera it has well serrated side of the lip

Aerides quinquevulnera at the commercial stall

In the Philippines, These types of orchids normally are seen growing even in cultivated orchards like mangoes farms or cultivated lowland fields.  These orchids are also commonly sold and branded as fox tail orchids, Vanda strap -leaf orchids among other names with fictitious origin .

Some unscrupulous peddlers or native orchid vendors would insert different types of flowers on the base of the stems and would even re-brand them with different names.

This is one of the first native orchids that we acquired via orchid peddlers and even neighbors coming home from the provinces . They would bring some orchids and they would give us some offshoots .

Aerides quinquevulnera mounted on a living tree

The best way to grow this type of orchid is to mount them on living palm , trees or wooden baskets.  There are newly described varieties of this species . Around the western part of the country , This orchid species blooming season is between late July to mid -October . But in other parts of the country , This orchid species can also bloom during other months .

orchid grown mounted on palm blooming for the second year 

Fertilization and Care

Aerides quinquevulera cannot tolerate full sun for a long period of time , This sepcies can tolerate between 65% to 80% sunlight with light shading . If you have palms or any living trees like mangoes , guavas , duhat , langka within backyard – These are good host trees . A small pack of slow release fertilizer , plus a weekly weakly doze of 20-20-20 water soluble fertilizers will made some wonders. Do not forget to apply once every other week a weak dosage of calcium nitrate and micro-nutrients to boost the growth .

A small amount of moss or pasdak mounted on the roots of the orchid will help retain moisture especially during the summer months.

given proper care and air circulation , small plant can bloom within 1 to 2 years. We grew  Aerides quiquevulnera on palm mounted 8 to 10 feet with some pasdak or moss around the roots . The two dozen or so flowers bloomed few days ago and carpenter bees and local wasps have begun pollination of the flowers.

References:

Philippine Orchids page 38 to 46 , Reg S. Davis and Mona Lisa Steiner 1952 ,1982

Philippine Native Orchid Species ,Cootes 2011

Website: http://www.orchidspecies.com/aerquinquevulneris.htm