Christmas Orchid - Detailed planting and care techniques for beginners

Orchid Giáng Thu (Red orchid) is a species of orchid belonging to the genus Giáng Hương. The flowers bloom in clusters of purple-pink color, have a characteristic fragrance, are easy to grow and easy to care for.

If you are an orchid lover and love the sweet purple-pink color, you definitely cannot miss the Christmas orchid , also known as Little Red Emperor (scientific name: Aerides rubescens). With its delicate color, thick flower clusters that bloom brilliantly in the fall, and its characteristic fragrance, Aerides rubescens is always the top choice for orchid lovers in Vietnam.

In today's article, let's explore with wild orchid all about the origin, characteristics as well as how to grow & care for the Christmas orchid (Red orchid) to help you easily conquer this graceful and charming wild orchid.

Origin of Christmas orchid

Aerides is a species of orchid belonging to the genus Aerides.

Aerides rubescens, also known as Aerides rubescens, is a genus of orchids native to Southeast Asia, first discovered and scientifically described in 1905 by Robert Allen Rolfe, a British botanist.

Aerides rubescens is mainly distributed in some countries such as Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam and Cambodia. In which Vietnam is one of the countries with the highest distribution density, especially in Lam Dong, Gia Lai, Kon Tum, Khanh Hoa, Dak Lak,...

Currently, there are some documents stating that orchid is endemic to Vietnam, but in fact this is not true because they are also naturally distributed in some countries in the Indochina region.

How to identify Christmas orchid

Close-up of a beautiful miniature orchid face.

Let's learn the details about the shape of the stem, leaves, roots and flowers of the orchid to help you easily recognize this orchid species compared to other orchid species in the orchid genus.

Close :

• It is a single-stem orchid with an upright stem.
• Average height from 30 - 70 cm
• Dark green, slightly purple at the base when the plant is old.
• The stem has many short segments, branching from the base to form a bush.

Leaves :

• Leaves are simple, arranged on both sides of the stem in an alternating pattern.
• The leaves are sword-shaped, split in two at the tip.
• Leaves are 15 - 25 cm long and 2 - 4 cm wide.
• Dark green, shiny, grooved in the middle, thick, juicy

Roots :

• Wind roots, silvery white in color because they are covered with a layer of velamen
• Roots grow from the base, and the lower, middle nodes of the stem.

Flower :

• Flowers grow from leaf axils near the top of the stem
• Flowers grow in clusters 15 - 30 cm long, each cluster has 10 - 30 small flowers, growing densely.
• Small flowers, size only from 1.5 - 2.5 cm, 5 even petals, oval, round, light pink, pink red, purple pink
• The flower tongue is short, curved, and has a dark purple-pink color.
• The flower has a light fragrance, faintly milky or yeasty (characteristic scent of the genus Pansy)
• Flowers usually bloom from August to October, each bloom lasts about 2 - 3 weeks, depending on the weather.

Techniques for planting and caring for Christmas orchids

Detailed instructions for planting and caring for Christmas orchids.

If you are new to orchids, don't miss the basic techniques on how to grow and care for orchids that we share below.

Selecting and processing orchids before planting

First, you need to choose good seedlings and handle them carefully to help the orchid pot grow best. Please note the following basics.

Criteria for choosing good orchid varieties :

• You should choose a potted plant with strong roots and a stem over 20 cm high.
• The tree has a straight trunk, no rot, no pests, green, thick leaves, not crushed.
• The tree has many young air roots.

Basic steps for processing orchid seedlings :

• Trim old and damaged roots, wash away old substrate stuck on orchid roots
• Soak orchid roots in diluted Physan 20 solution for about 15 - 20 minutes to remove fungi and bacteria.
• Can be soaked in B1 + Atonik solution to stimulate roots (if desired)
• Take out the orchid, hang it in a cool, dry place for 1-2 days before planting.

Choose a growing medium for orchids

To help the orchid take root quickly and grow steadily, you need to choose the right substrate. Please refer to some of the following suggestions.

• Driftwood, live wood, hardwood board

• Board

• Pine bark + charcoal

Note: The growing media must be cleaned to remove bacteria and pathogens to avoid spreading disease to orchids. You can soak the growing media in lime water, boil the growing media or soak it in Physan 20 solution and then dry it.

Techniques for growing orchids (Red orchid)

You can grow Christmas orchids in two ways: in pots or grafted onto wood/driftwood, depending on your preference and climate conditions. And here are super detailed and technically correct instructions on how to grow and graft, let's refer to them now.

Growing Christmas orchids in pots :

• Line a layer of charcoal and rocks at the bottom of the pot, then add pine bark and charcoal in the middle.
• Place the orchid root in the middle of the pot, use a stick and a zip tie to secure it.
• Cover the base with a thin layer of substrate, leaving space to help the roots breathe better.

Grafting Christmas orchids onto the board :

• Use wire, zip ties, or parachute cord to fix the orchid roots to the substrate, place at a 45 degree angle, with the roots facing down.
• You can add a thin layer of moss or coir to cover the base to keep it moist.
• Hang orchids in a ventilated, sheltered place

Dendrobium orchid care from A to Z

After planting the orchid, you need to pay attention to taking care of this orchid properly, from watering, maintaining light, temperature to fertilizing, pruning,... to help the orchid pot grow well and bloom soon. For details, please refer to the following instructions.

Watering properly :

• Dry season : Water 1-2 times/day, early morning or cool afternoon
• Rainy season : Water 2-3 times/week, depending on whether the substrate is dry or wet.
• Note : Do not water at night, do not let water accumulate in leaf axils.

Maintain optimal light and temperature :

• Light : Partial light from 50 - 70%, best grown under awnings, shade nets or light morning sunlight
• Temperature : 20 - 32 degrees C

Fertilizer for each stage of growth :

• After planting/grafting: Fertilize with B1 + Atonik + diluted organic fertilizer
• Development stage: NPK 30-10-10, 20-20-20 combined with diluted organic fertilizer
• Flowering stage: NPK 6-30-30, 10-30-20
• Flowering stage: Add organic fertilizer, fish protein, humic,...

Trim & clean the growing medium periodically :

• Regularly trim rotten, damaged roots, yellow and spotted leaves
• Change the substrate about once every 1 - 2 years.

Prevention and treatment of pests and diseases for orchids:

• Treatment of top rot : Cut off the rotten part, spray Physan to kill fungus.
• Treat mealybugs, planthoppers, red spiders : Spray Confidor, Neem oil according to instructions on the package.
• Treat mold and white spots : Spray Benkona periodically, use 70-degree alcohol to wipe the moldy surface.

Christmas orchid price update 2025

Currently, the orchid Giáng thu is very popular in Vietnam, you can easily buy this orchid at orchid gardens, Facebook groups or Tiki, Shopee... with many different prices, specifically as follows:

• Christmas orchid, 40cm tall, strong roots (Tiki): About 99,000 VND/tree
• Pot of domesticated Christmas orchids, with 4 - 6 plants (Shopee): About 350,000 VND/pot

Questions and answers about Christmas orchids

Does the orchid bloom all year round?

No, the orchid only blooms once in the fall, around August - October.

Is the orchid endemic to Vietnam?

No, Christmas orchids are naturally distributed in many countries other than Vietnam such as Laos, Thailand, and Myanmar.

Are Christmas orchids fragrant?

Yes, the orchid Giáng Thu does not have a light, pleasant fragrance, with a faint scent of fermented milk like other orchids in the Giáng Hương genus.

Is orchid easy to grow?

Yes, this is one of the easiest orchid species to grow and care for. You just need to grasp some basic techniques of watering, fertilizing, temperature, humidity, etc. and the orchid pot can grow well and bloom beautifully.

Christmas orchid image

Please join us to admire more beautiful Christmas orchid moments with purple-pink flower clusters blooming, making many people fall in love.

The flowers of the Christmas orchid are sweet pink.

A giant orchid (Red Dendrobium).

A branch of orchid with brilliant beauty.

A pot of orchids in full bloom.

It is no coincidence that the orchid Giáng Thu is always in the top of the most favorite wild orchids in Vietnam. With delicate pink flower clusters, slender, soft flower shape, gentle fragrance and good adaptability, Giáng Thu will be a perfect choice to help you decorate your orchid garden.

Hopefully, through the article that orchid-vn.com shares above, it will help you feel "easier" in planting & caring for this orchid species. Don't forget to visit our Blog section to discover more beautiful and rare wild orchids, hybrid orchids or mutated orchids.