Pterostylis curta

Rare Plant Catalog Verified independent store

→

Pterostylis curta is native to southeastern Australia, New Caledonia, and Lord Howe Island. This species is technically a winter grower, retreating to small subterranean tubers thr ough the summer months. We find this is easily the toughest terrestrial orchid we’ve grown, tolerating everything from hot, continuously wet tropical conditions to life outdoors in northern California with no supplemental irrigation. It’s an outlier among orchids and doesn’t offer a showy flower in the usual sense. In spring it produces a single, upright bloom, green and hooded, with a form that resembles a cloaked figure. Despite its humble floral display, the overall composition of the plant, paired with its diminutive size, gives it an endearing presence sure to please fans of “cute plants,” ourselves included. Show more