trefle.io · Taken May 3, 2020 by Llandrich anna (cc-by-sa)
Orchidaceae
Tongue-orchid
Serapias lingua
Also known as Serapias orchid, Serpent orchid, Adder's tongue orchid, Serapias lingua var. leucoglottis
Native Plants · Orchid · Terrestrial Orchid · Mediterranean · Wildflower · Rare · Tongue Orchid · Perennial · Rock Garden · European Orchid · Specialist Plant
Serapias lingua is a challenging Mediterranean terrestrial orchid best suited for outdoor rock gardens or naturalized meadows with well-drained, alkaline soil. It requires a dry summer dormancy period and thrives in full sun to partial shade, mimicking its native Mediterranean habitat. This orchid is not recommended for indoor cultivation and demands specialist care to maintain long-term.
Growing conditions
The details behind the basics
- Daily light
- 5 hours
- Watering
- Water moderately, keeping soil evenly moist but never waterlogged · Every 7-10 days during active growth, reduce in summer dormancy
- Maintenance
- High
- Soil
- peat
- Soil pH
- 4.5–5
- Temperature
- 55°F to 85°F
- Cycle
- Perennial
- Propagation
- Division
Hardiness
USDA 10a-11b
Form & growth
Mature size and habit
- Mature height
- 12 in – 3 ft
- Spread
- 12 in
- Spacing
- 6 in apart
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Root depth
- Shallow
- Flowers
- No
- Foliage
- Medium
Ecology & origin
Where it belongs and what it brings
- Native to
- Albania, Algeria, Baleares, Corse, East Aegean Is., France, Great Britain, Greece, Italy, Kriti, Libya, Morocco, Portugal, Sardegna, Sicilia, Spain, Tunisia, Turkey, Yugoslavia
- Attracts
- Bees
Sources: trefle, usda
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