What Is the Difference Between Large-Leaf Cold Orchid and Fine-Leaf Cold Orchid? A Detailed Illustrated Guide

In the usual sense, cold orchid refers to the winter-blooming winter cold orchid, whose flowering period is mostly concentrated from mid-to-late October to December, though of course there are earlier and later ones, and these are already very few. Within the winter cold orchid, according to differences in various characteristics, it is further divided into large-leaf cold orchid and fine-leaf cold orchid. Below we discuss the differences between large-leaf cold orchid and fine-leaf cold orchid.

Large-leaf cold orchid and fine-leaf cold orchid are not distinguished by the length and width of the leaves (that is to say, among large-leaf ones there are also those with small, fine leaf types, and among fine-leaf ones there will also appear tall, large plants), but rather by whether the petals (especially the column petals) carry a rim, whether the base color of the lip petal is a white base color, and whether the orchid roots are thick and stout. Among cold orchids there is also no such thing as a medium-leaf type (medium-leaf cold orchid). When we describe the leaf data of a cold orchid variety, it is best to describe it more clearly, for example using large-leaf fine-leaf-type cold orchid, large-leaf medium-leaf-type cold orchid, or large-leaf large-leaf-type cold orchid, so that even orchid enthusiasts who do not fully understand cold orchids will know that what is being described is a large-leaf cold orchid. Similarly, when describing fine-leaf cold orchids, one can also use fine-leaf fine-leaf-type cold orchid, fine-leaf medium-leaf-type cold orchid, and fine-leaf large-leaf-type cold orchid to distinguish leaf size.

Large-leaf cold orchid, as the name suggests, has leaves (plant form) that are relatively tall and large, but among large-leaf cold orchids there are also quite a few with relatively short, small leaf types. Large-leaf cold orchids have lighter leaf color, glossy leaf surfaces, and relatively fine roots; fine-leaf cold orchids have leaves (plant form) that are relatively short and small, and likewise some are relatively tall and large. Fine-leaf cold orchids have darker leaf color, with less gloss than large-leaf ones, mostly thick roots, and also a very small portion with fine roots.

The petals of fine-leaf cold orchids (especially the column petals) mostly carry a rim, and most carry a white rim, with a very small portion carrying a red (or purplish-red) rim or a yellow rim. But there are also a very few fine-leaf ones that carry no rim at all, and these mainly appear among natural hybrid varieties; the lip petal base color of fine-leaf ones is almost always white, and quite a few are white base with inlaid green veins, and there are also pure white bases, though not many; of course some lip petals also have a mixed-color base, very few. Relatively speaking, large-leaf cold orchids very rarely have petals with a rim, though it is not that there are none at all; likewise large-leaf cold orchids very rarely have a white base color on the lip petal, though it does also appear. Large-leaf ones mostly have a mixed-color lip petal base (among large-leaf cold orchids there are also solid-color lip petals, such as green and yellow plain lips). The lip petals of large-leaf cold orchids all have tongue coating (fuzz), while fine-leaf ones almost have none.

White-base lip, rimmed flower of fine-leaf cold orchid

Large-leaf cold orchids are relatively rich in both flower color and lip petal base color, while relatively speaking fine-leaf ones appear more uniform. Among fine-leaf cold orchids, green flowers are more common, while red flowers, purplish-red flowers, white flowers, yellow flowers and so on are relatively fewer. Among fine-leaf cold orchids there is a color-changing flower, which usually does not begin to change color until the flower bud is about to open, and some varieties change color very brilliantly.

Relatively speaking, large-leaf cold orchids bear more flowers, with some bearing a dozen or more, have thick, stout flower stalks, and the majority of flower scapes rise above the leaves; the petals of large-leaf cold orchids are relatively slender and long compared with fine-leaf ones, so the flower shapes of large-leaf ones vary, either regular, or graceful, or twisted, in countless forms. Fine-leaf cold orchids bear fewer flowers, usually three to five, or at most seven or eight, have relatively thin flower stalks, that is, what we call wick stalks, and few of the flower scapes of fine-leaf cold orchids can rise above the leaves; the petals of fine-leaf ones are shorter, the outer petals are relatively firm and strong, and the flowers open more regularly than those of large-leaf ones. Seen this way, I believe: large-leaf ones are suitable for clump planting (that is, cultivating multiple shoots together, not dividing them too thinly, except for those seeking to propagate varieties), so that large-leaf ones not only look majestic and imposing in plant form, but during the flowering period the tall flower stalks rising above the leaves show even more their dignified true character. On the contrary, fine-leaf ones are suitable for single planting (cultivation with a smaller number of shoots), which both solves the problem of fine-leaf ones being difficult to propagate and highlights the delicate beauty of the fine-leaf leaf form, and during the flowering period will not crowd the flowers and petals because of too many leaves, so that even for fine-leaf ones whose flower scapes do not rise above the leaves, flower appreciation will be clear at a glance, simple and distinct.

Flower scape of large-leaf cold orchid

Flower scape of fine-leaf cold orchid

The flowering period of large-leaf cold orchids is mostly concentrated from late October to November each year, while fine-leaf ones generally from November to December. Depending on climate differences in various places, some are earlier or later, but not by much. Of course, the flowering period span of cold orchids is very wide, but that is a very small minority. The flowers of large-leaf cold orchids are strongly fragrant, while fine-leaf ones are lightly fragrant, and a very few fine-leaf ones are also strongly fragrant; whether large-leaf or fine-leaf, there are also those that are unscented, but those too are a very small minority. Due to temperature reasons, the fragrance of cold orchids may also fail to be released. According to my experience, for large-leaf cold orchids above the low twenties of degrees, and for fine-leaf cold orchids above 10 degrees, it is generally very difficult to smell the fragrance, though of course there are individual ones that also release fragrance at high temperatures. Fine-leaf cold orchids even require temperatures close to zero before the fragrance can be smelled, so many orchid growers in northern China who grow orchids indoors cannot smell the fragrance of fine-leaf ones (when fine-leaf ones bloom in the north, the indoor heating is basically already on). As long as the conditions for releasing fragrance are suitable, whether large-leaf or fine-leaf, all can release fragrance. Fine-leaf cold orchids bloom readily, with most blooming from just one or two shoots, while large-leaf cold orchids are much lazier about blooming.