Eulophia graminea, misunderstood petite orchid or a Faustian horticultural nightmare?




So, I finally found the genus of the two orchid plants that are growing out of the roots of the dragon plant ( Dracaena marginata) on the south side of the pool enclosure.  They are not native, which threw me a curve at first, but hail from across the southern portion of Asia.  Once I found the name, I searched and found a few headlines.

"Invasive Chinese crown orchids taking over Florida landscapes"

"Chinese Crown Orchid could be hiding amidst your vegetables and flowers... waiting to invade! Let’s learn whether this orchid is a weed!"

 "The next exotic plant to menace the wilds of Florida might be an orchid, of all things."

I guess some folks have not much to do...and one of those headlines was from a television news station.

Anyway, here are the two bulbs nestled in the old roots.  Hard to see much as they blend in with fellow invasive species, almost like Burmese pythons and Brazilian pepper trees in the Everglades :)


Here's a closer look at one bulb, pushing out a bit from the roots.  I'm going to leave them be, regardless of the headlines.  If I started removing non-native species, all I'd be left with is a bit of St. Augustine grass, a cabbage palm or two, beach sand, and palmetto plants :)


 

Comments

  1. Doesn't quite look as ferocious as the Brazilian pepper trees...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I read it also requires a symbiotic fungus to germinate, so it’s not going to move fast on its own.

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