What are Jewel Orchids?
Once you search for jewel orchid information, you’ll find a number of surprising differences. Jewel orchids are best known for their red and green textured leaves, which have a deep, velvety feeling. These plants do produce white or pale yellow flowers, mostly during the winter or very early spring months. Ludisia developed on the rain forest floors, so they don’t like a lot of natural light. In fact, too much sunlight can wash out their distinctive leaf colors. You can grow jewel orchids indoors as a houseplant, and it’s easily propagated by breaking off a piece of rhizome and rooting it in regular African violet soil.
Tips for Growing Jewel Orchids
When you care for Ludisia jewel orchids, forget about everything you’ve learned about growing other orchids. These are terrestrial, which means they like to have their roots in some form of soil. A commercial African violet mix works perfectly with these plants. Ludisia orchid care means putting your plants in a spot where they won’t get a lot of temperature fluctuation but will have a good amount of humidity. Surprisingly, the best room in many houses for this plant is the bathroom. The steamy air and fluorescent lights are exactly the right environment to grow the deeply colored leaves without fading, while keeping the plant moistened without having to worry about extra watering chores. You may not be worried about producing a huge crop of flowers, but jewel orchids still need feeding. Give them commercial orchid food according to the package directions, feeding them once a month.
