Simply Spectacular

Discover the spectacular beauty of South Africa’s indigenous orchids. Here are some of the best ones suitable for growing at home.

- Lizette Jonker

Readily available at garden centres and top end supermarkets, orchids are no longer seen as rare exotics. They’ve become popular house plants, the moth orchid (Phalaenopsis) in particular, complementing both contemporary and traditional interiors.

However, what’s not commonly known is that that there are over 470 orchids indigenous to South Africa, many of which are just as spectacular as theexotics. According to experienced orchid judge, Tinus Oberholzer of Plantae Orchids, the most popular indigenous orchids are Disa uniflora endemic to Table Mountain, and the leopard orchid (Ansellia africana) found in Mpumalanga, KZN and Limpopo.

“Most people have at some point walked past and even stepped on an indigenous orchid, without even knowing it,” says Tinus. The reason for this is that many of them have insignificant flowers, often in subtle colours like cream, brown and green and are easily overlooked. Fortunately, some, such as the disa, have been hybridised over the past few years and are commercially available. Rare species are only available from specialist orchid growers or orchid shows, although some garden centres will order them for you.

Sadly a number of our indigenous orchids are now endangered and not available to the public. “Conserving these rare plants is important to maintain our rich plant heritage,” says Tinus. But if you do spot an orchid in the wild, photograph it and leave it where it is: it’s against the law to remove any indigenous plant from its natural habitat.

TOP CHOICES

1 Disa uniflora hybrids