Fan-lip orchid - Origin, Characteristics and Care

Fan-lip orchid (fan-lip orchid) - a wild orchid with a unique shape with fan-like flower lips, sweet scent, easy to grow, easy to adapt.

Fan-lip orchid or fan-lip orchid - one of the rare wild orchid species thanks to its special flower shape and light sweet fragrance, is increasingly loved and collected by Vietnamese orchid enthusiasts.

With spotted brown-yellow petals and a fan-like lip and good adaptability, this orchid attracts orchid lovers at first sight.

With wild orchid, learn about the origin, characteristics as well as how to grow and care for fan-shaped orchids in the article below.

Origin and distribution of Dendrobium orchid

Fan-lip orchid or fan-lip orchid.

Aerides flabellata (scientific name: Aerides flabellata), known by many other names such as Aerides flabellata, Aerides flabellata, Aerides flabellata, etc. is a species of orchid that originates throughout Southeast Asia, especially in Thailand, Myanmar, China and Vietnam. In our country, Aerides flabellata is recorded to appear in many tropical humid forests at an altitude of 500 - 1300 m above sea level.

The name “flabellata" is derived from the Latin word “flabellum”, meaning fan, referring to the shape of the flower's lip spreading like a fan.

Currently, the number of fan-lip orchids in nature is increasingly scarce due to overexploitation to serve the needs of ornamental plants. Although they are not in Appendix I of CITES, they are on the list of species that need to be monitored and preserved in Vietnam.

Signs to identify fan-lip orchid

Image of the body, leaves, roots and flowers of the fan-lip orchid.

Fan-lipped orchid is one of the orchid species with the most unique flower shape in the genus Dendrobium. Let's learn more about the shape of the stem, leaves and flowers of this orchid species below.

Close :

• Single stem, upright or slightly curved.
• Length from 20 - 50 cm, can be up to 70.80 cm if well cared for
• The stem has many short segments, each segment grows leaves and roots.

Leaves :

• Leaves are thick, tough, elongated in the shape of sword blades, growing alternately on both sides of the stem.
• Each stem has 6 - 12 leaves, each leaf is 15 - 30 cm long and 2 - 4 cm wide.
• Leaves are dark green, leaf edges are slightly wavy, leaf tips are split in half, leaf veins are prominent.

Roots :

• Aerial roots, large, thick, long roots
• The roots are ivory white or silver gray, covered with a layer of velamen.

Flower :

• Flowers grow from the flower stalk, forming curved clusters, each cluster has from 10 to 24 flowers.
• The flowers are quite small, with a diameter of 1.5 - 2.5 cm.
• The petals are yellow-green or yellow-brown, with dark brown spots spread evenly across the petals.
• The flower lip is wide, spread like a fan, has a white color mixed with dark purple, the lip edge is slightly wavy, has a smooth sawtooth shape.
• The flower throat is bright yellow.
• Fan-lip orchids usually bloom from April to June, late spring to early summer.
• The flower has a light fragrance, not too strong, somewhat like a very pleasant vanilla scent.

Instructions on how to plant and care for fan-shaped orchid

Instructions for growing fan-shaped orchids.

Right below is the most detailed guide to planting and caring for fan-shaped orchids. If you are new to orchids, you can refer to it right away.

How to grow fan-lip orchid

Planting fan-lip orchids with the right technique will help your orchid pot take root soon, grow quickly and produce beautiful flowers in season. Please refer to the detailed planting instructions shared below.

Prepare fan-lip orchid seeds :

• Choose seedlings with clear origin, healthy plants, no pests or diseases, green root tips
• Prioritize choosing domesticated plants for easier care.

Seedling treatment :

• Trim damaged, rotten roots, yellow or bruised leaves,...
• Apply scar glue to the cut.
• Soak the plant in fungicide + root stimulant such as Ridomil Gold + B1/N3M for 15 - 20 minutes, then remove and let dry for 1 - 2 days before planting.

Prepare the substrate :

• Choose a substrate that has good ventilation, retains moisture, and is not easily waterlogged.
• Should be planted in wooden pots or terracotta pots with many drainage holes.
• Substrate can choose pine bark, charcoal, pumice, baked clay pellets,...
• The growing media needs to be cleaned by soaking in lime water or physan solution to remove fungi and pathogens.

How to plant fan-lip orchid in pot :

• Step 1: Spread a layer of substrate such as pine bark or pumice at the bottom of the pot to help drain water better.
• Step 2: Place the orchid root on the surface of the substrate, use nylon rope and support stick to fix it.
• Step 3: Leave the roots open and airy, do not bury the roots too deeply into the substrate.
• Step 4: Hang the pot in a cool, airy place, spray lightly for the first 2 weeks to let the plant recover, then take care of it as usual.

How to care for fan-shaped orchid

Understanding and caring for fan-lip orchids properly will help your orchid pot grow strongly, have fewer pests and diseases, and produce many flowers in season. Let's learn the detailed care instructions shared below.

Temperature - light - humidity :

• Humidity: High from 70 - 80%
• Light: Diffused light, best to use shade net or plant under the eaves
• Temperature: 20 - 32 degrees C
• Planting location: Cool place, not exposed to direct sunlight, with enough diffused light, not exposed to rain.

Watering enough - at the right time :

• Sunny season: Water 1 - 2 times/day, maintain high humidity
• Rainy season: reduce watering, only water when the substrate feels dry.
• Note: Do not water in the evening, water in the early morning or cool afternoon.

Fertilizer for each stage :

• Growth stage: Use slow-release fertilizer or foliar fertilizer, NPK 30-10-10 + B1, Atonik
• Flowering preparation stage: NPK 6-30-30 every 7 days to help the plant differentiate flower buds.
• Flowering stage: NPK 15-20-25, organic micronutrient fertilizer, note: do not spray on flower buds.
• After flowering: NPK 20-20-20 + B1 combined with organic fertilizer helps the plant recover to grow and prepare for the new flowering season.

Pest control :

• Plants with rotten roots: Cut off the rotten roots and stems, soak in Ridomil or Physan to remove pathogens.
• Plants with leaf spots: Spray Antracol + clean orchid pots to remove fungus
• Plants with mealybugs: Spray Confidor, clean the orchid growing area.

Stimulate orchid to bloom :

• Only stimulate mature plants that are over 1 year old.
• Stop watering for 5-7 days to create mild shock conditions for the orchid + spray flower stimulant such as NPK 6-30-30 to promote flower bud differentiation.
• When you see the flower buds sprout, you need to maintain humidity and add micronutrients to nourish the flowers.

Important Note :

• Do not plant in dark, damp, shady places.
• Do not water continuously for many days as it can easily cause waterlogging and root rot.
• Do not use high nitrogen fertilizers or spray pesticides directly on flower buds.
• Do not change the position of the orchid too much as it can easily shock the plant into the new environment.
• After 2 - 3 years, you should replace the growing medium with a new one + prune damaged roots and separate new shoots growing on the mother plant to create new orchid pots.

Price of fan-shaped orchid

Currently, there is not much accurate information about the price of fan-shaped orchids/fan-shaped orchids in Vietnam, however, according to our research, there is the following information:

• Orchid pots with strong roots and good leaves will usually cost between 300,000 - 600,000 VND/pot.

• For small, unstable trees, the price will be lower, under 300,000 VND.

Questions and answers about orchid fan lips?

Is it difficult to grow fan-lip orchid?

Although fan-shaped orchids are wild orchids, they are relatively easy to grow because they adapt well to Vietnam's climate. They only need a well-ventilated environment, well-drained substrate, high humidity and diffused light.

Is the fan-shaped orchid fragrant?

Yes, this orchid has a light sweet, vanilla-like scent that is very pleasant.

What month does the fan-lip orchid usually bloom?

This orchid species usually blooms from April to June every year.

Beautiful fan-shaped orchid image

Right below are the most realistic and sharp images of the fan-shaped orchid - the orchid with the most impressive beauty in the orchid genus. We invite you to admire it right away to fully feel the rustic but enchanting beauty of this orchid.

Close-up of the face of the fan-lip orchid.

A blooming orchid.

The fan-shaped orchid flowers have a unique shape.

Dendrobium fanciful with harmonious colors.

Small and pretty fan-shaped orchid flowers.

Through the article that orchid-vn.com shares above, it can be seen that the fan-shaped dendrobium orchid not only possesses a special beauty but also brings many interesting experiences to growers. With the ability to grow strongly, adapt well, bloom profusely and fragrantly, this orchid is worthy of being in the collection of orchid enthusiasts.

Goodbye and see you soon in other articles of the Blog section to discover more beautiful and unique wild orchids and hybrid orchids.