Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Orchidaceae

Genus:

Cleistes

Species:

Cleistes grandiflora

Growth Characteristics

Growth Habit:

Geophyte

Height:

60 cm

Drought Tolerance:

Low

Bloom Months:

may,jun,jul

Bloom Colors:

pink, purple, magenta

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:

bees, specialized orchid pollinators

Deer Resistant:

Yes

Fire Ecology:

Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire

Fire Notes:

Thrives in fire-maintained pine savannas and flatwoods; periodic burning maintains open canopy and reduces woody competition essential for this orchid's persistence.

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:

Cold/moist stratification required — 60–90 days

Germination Time:

30–120 days

Notes:

Orchid seeds require mycorrhizal association for germination; laboratory symbiotic germination protocols needed for cultivation.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI