Where do wild orchids grow? No wonder you can't find them when you go up the mountain

A netizen asked me where wild orchids grow. On this point, I believe Haoshe Farmer has something to say. Of course, around here I only have Cymbidium goeringii and Cymbidium faberi, so I can only talk about where these two orchids grow.

Orchids living in symbiosis with moss

Photos 1, 2 and 3 show wild Cymbidium goeringii. As you can see from the photos (all taken by Haoshe Farmer himself), they mostly grow under broadleaf forests, or in mixed forests of pine and broadleaf trees. Places like this provide shade and escape from the heat in summer, while still getting sunlight in the other seasons. The spots where the orchids take hold are mostly sloping ground, so water does not accumulate on rainy days.

A double-flowered Cymbidium goeringii under a broadleaf forest

In the places where orchids grow, the soil is mainly soft humus. From top to bottom the structure is as follows: the topmost layer is fallen leaves; then half-rotted leaves; then fertile, soft humus; and the bottom layer is mostly sandy soil or red sandy soil (the orchid roots sit on the upper surface of this layer and do not grow down into it). Another feature of orchid sites is ventilation. If you get the chance to go up the mountain looking for orchids in summer, when you sit down beside an orchid to rest, you will definitely feel cooler than in other places on the same mountain.

Cymbidium goeringii under a broadleaf forest

As for the orientation of the slopes where orchids grow, they are mostly east- or southeast-facing. West- or northwest-facing ones also exist, but are relatively much fewer. Cymbidium goeringii generally grows at the mountainside, beside small streams in mountain gullies; Cymbidium faberi grows at higher elevations than Cymbidium goeringii, generally on the upper half of the slope, and some even grow on mountain ridges at an altitude of 600 m (the Cymbidium faberi in the photo below is growing on a mountain ridge).

Cymbidium faberi on a mountaintop

Wild orchids have extremely tenacious vitality. In places where people have damaged the mountain forest, they can still survive. The mountain forest where the wild Cymbidium faberi in the photo below grows has been developed for 8 years. It was originally a forest of pine and oak, and now hickory and oil tea trees are planted there. Herbicide is applied twice every year. Although the orchid leaves have been badly damaged, it is still hanging on tenaciously. Seeing an orchid like this, do you still have any excuse for not being able to grow one well?

Cymbidium faberi under harsh conditions

Those who say wild orchids are afraid of freezing are bookworms who have never been up a mountain. Wild orchids can safely get through winters of more than 10 degrees below zero in the wild (the extreme temperature in the mountain area of Haoshe Farmer's hometown is -13°C, and I have never seen an orchid freeze to death). This is because they add a thick winter blanket for themselves (fallen leaves and rotting leaves). As long as the roots of the orchid are not frozen and iced over, the orchid will not freeze to death. So when we grow orchids at home and overwinter them, we must protect the roots well. Haoshe Farmer suggests wrapping a ring of thick foam cotton around the pot wall and the problem is solved.

If you have any other questions, feel free to leave a comment in the comment section