Can Orchids Grow From Root Clippings?

Types of Orchids

• Botanists recognize over 25,000 separate species of orchids, as well as several hundred thousand hybrids, which makes the orchid family one of the largest plant families on the planet. Orchids are divided into nine major genus categories: Cattleya, Phalaenopsis, Paphiopedilum, Dendrobium, Miltonia, Oncidium, Odontoglossum, Cymbidium and Epidendrum. The most commonly grown of these is Phalaenopsis, known for its large, butterflylike flowers and broad, fleshy leaves.

Propagation by Division

• Types of orchids that develop many stems over time are called sympodial, or “many footed” species; they form new clones along a rhizome. Cattleya, Oncidium and Dendrobium are examples of these types of orchids. New shoots and roots form at junctions along the rootlike rhizome. Like terrestrial perennial plants, these types of orchids can be divided along the rhizome as long as a piece of true root and stem are included in the division. New divisions should be potted in sterile orchid growing medium and kept moist according to the species’ preferences.

Propagation by Cutting

• Orchids that grow from a single stem and which do not form new plants along a rhizome are called monopodial, or “single footed.” New plants are grown by taking cuttings of the stem where a root bud or full root has emerged on the node, or juncture between leaves on the stem. Like divisions, new cuttings should be potted in moist orchid-planting medium and kept at the appropriate temperature and humidity level that the species prefers.

Propagation by Seed

• Growing orchids from seed requires more patience than producing a new plant from a cutting or division. In nature, orchids produce millions of tiny, dustlike seeds, although only a few may ever reach maturity. Orchid seed lacks the endosperm, or stored starches, necessary for the plant embryo to develop into a seedling. Orchid seedlings can only grow into plants through symbiosis with types of fungi during the initial stages of development. Modern orchid growers use a sugar mixture in place of a fungus symbiote. Although hobbyist growers may duplicate this process, rates of success tend to be low outside of a lab setting where environmental factors are easier to regulate.