Pleione orchids A master 1 2 of theart Pleione orchids are easily grown plants for a cool glasshouse or windowsill; some of the best selections have been developed by Ian Butterfield BB I 3 4 R Author: Andy Byfield, gardener and botanist. Photographer: Tim Sandall C J P have never been the biggest fan of gardening club talks, but a lecture that I remember as PHILLI / KEW RBG both memorable and In Its natural habitat in Bhutan, Pleione hookeriana (above) grows epiphytically on tree branches or shaded, mossy banks. Many other species inhabit similar conditions; to informative was one presented simulate these in cultivation is, in part, the key to growing success. I by Ian Butterfield on the genus of Asian orchids, Pleione. By dint of strapping two cameras together on a always trouble-free in cultivation. pole, the pictures were in glorious 3D, Ian’s choice However, hybridization has made bringing these jewel-like orchids them more straightforward to grow, seemingly to life. 5 6 of pleiones and by mixing genes of plants that Ian is best known as a grower and do not occur together in nature, breeder of pleiones. What started as Boxed numbers in text refer to the breeders have produced an ever- a hobby, when his mother gave him following Pleione hybrids (with raiser wider range of colours and shapes some pseudobulbs 50 years or so ago, and date of grex registration): from which to choose. It is easy to has grown beyond imagination. Now, 1 Pleione Harlequin ‘Norman’ see why Ian is so besotted with the Pleione grower Ian Butterfield in one of from a glasshouse at his home near his glasshouses; many of the plants (Stephen James, 2003) hybrids: entering his glasshouse in Marlow, Buckinghamshire he is the here are results of his own breeding. 2 P. Britannia ‘Doreen’ April is a dazzling experience, with world’s most significant breeder of (Stephen James, 1992) flowers in colours of ruby and garnet, these easy-to-please orchids: of the and China, where the plants grow on 3 P. Eastfield ‘Purple Emperor’ gold and copper, and silver and rose 320 or so hybrids registered to date, rock ledges, tree trunks and branches (Stephen James, 2003) quartz, with every shade in between. more than one third were raised by or on the floor of lightly shaded 4 P. Asama ‘Red Grouse’ Ian. In 2011 the RHS awarded him forests, their roots revelling in open, (Ian Butterfield, 1983) First introductions 5 P. Mandalay ‘Purple Rain’ the Reginald Cory Memorial Cup moist rubble rich in moss, leaf litter or 7 8 The story of the introduction, cultiva- (given to a raiser whose work in a humus. While these are plants of the (Stephen James, 2003) tion and hybridization of pleiones in particular genus results in the intro- subtropics, many occur at altitudes 6 P. Orizaba ‘Fish Eagle’ Britain is essentially a tale of two (Ian Butterfield, 1991) duction of new hybrids of merit) for of up to 4,200m (13,800ft), in the parts. The first species to reach the UK 7 P. Shantung ‘Ducat’ his contribution to Pleione breeding. company of firs, pines, rhododen- arrived in Victorian and Edwardian (David Harberd, 1977) drons and primulas, so many species times, but not all persisted, largely 8 P. Alishan ‘Merlin’ prefer cool growing conditions. Most leaving a handful of easy-to-grow Wild origins (Martin Hazelton, 1979) As one of the first growers to start are spring flowering, reaching their pink species for early hybridists to 9 P. Shantung ‘Silver Anniversary’ breeding pleiones, much of Ian’s early peak in March and April in Britain, (David Harberd, 1977) play with in the second half of the work involved crossing wild species, but three species kick the flowering 20th century. The offspring were, as 10 P. Rakata ‘Redwing’ and he continues to grow all of the season off in autumn, so it is possible (Ian Butterfield, 1982) often as not, various shades of pink. widely accepted species (roughly to have a pleione or two flowering for Fortuitously, one early introduction 20), plus their better selections. In seven or eight months of the year. ✤ Photographed 22 April 2013 at – the natural hybrid P. x confusa, the wild, the genus is centred on the The varied ecologies of the species Butterfield Nursery (see p71). Flowers introduced by plant hunter George 9 10 forested mountains of the Himalaya in the wild mean that they are not are about 6–7.5cm (2½–3in) across. Forrest and at one time reduced » 68 The Garden | December 2013 December 2013 | The Garden 69 Pleione orchids to a single pseudobulb in cultivation lilac P. yunnanensis, excellent white – injected invaluable yellow genes and cream P. grandiflora and rosy- into early breeding programmes, and red, autumn-flowering P. saxicola. The Orchid Review formative hybrids such as Shantung Fresh introductions of plants of ‘older’ The Orchid Review is the RHS quarterly and Vesuvius grexes (registered by species have also diversified the gene publication dedicated to the David Harberd and Ian Butterfield in pool. Today, all known species are in celebration and understanding 1977 and 1978 respectively) provided UK cultivation, though at least two of orchids, priced £29 per year. an early inkling of what just might be – P. albiflora and P. coronaria – Gift subscriptions available from possible through hybridization. remain tantalisingly difficult to obtain. www.rhs.org.uk/orchidreview In the last quarter of the 20th or telephone: 020 7821 3401. century, the hybridisers’ dream came Making selections The December issue contains articles H true, as China opened its borders to With this palette of species to breed T R on how to grow Cypripedium in the visitors from Europe, and a welter of from, the possibilities are endless One of Ian Butterfield’s highly garden, the diversity of Turkish orchids, beautiful and varied Pleione species as far as Ian’s breeding work is regarded exhibits at Malvern and blue-flowered Thelymitra species Spring Gardening Show; sadly from Australia. arrived in cultivation in the West. First concerned. He tells me his only goal 2013’s display was his last. was the only yellow-flowered species, in breeding is to select new cultivars HEPWO NEIL / RHS Pleione forrestii, introduced into with exciting and clear colours but, gardens by Roy Lancaster and friends characteristic of this discerning from the Sino-British Expedition to plantsman, Ian’s selections display a China in 1981. It is not the easiest to wealth of other good traits. His plants grow, but its golden genes have been are easy to spot: the grexes – the used time and again in the hybridiza- collective offspring of one particular tion programmes of Ian and others. cross – generally bear names of Further glamorous species followed, volcanoes, while individual clones over a period of little more than a selected for their characteristics, bear decade. These included large, names of birds. Examples include MA / MMGI brilliant carmine P. aurita, dainty orange and yellow Pleione Orizaba R IA NN E MAJE E R U Pleione growing advice S ✤ Overview: pleiones are easy to of equal parts coarse potting bark, Popular Pleione formosana (above) may grow in a trough with woodland plants grow, providing a few needs are met coarse perlite and chopped moss such as small ferns and hepaticas if kept out of severe frost and winter wet. in full. While a few growers succeed works equally well. Plant bulbs with them outdoors in a sheltered shallowly, with a third of the bulb ‘Fish Eagle’ 6 , rich pink P. Rakata striving for oranges and, in particular, spot, most keep them under glass. above the surface, 2.5cm (1in) apart. ‘Redwing’ 10, purple and red P. Asama reds – such as recent P. Michael Nevertheless, many pleiones enjoy Keep compost barely moist in the Beautiful Pleione Ruby-red Pleione aurita is an Michael Butterfield ‘Red Grouse’ 4 and P. Vesuvius ‘Tawny Butterfield with ruby-red-tinted winter cold: a degree or two above early stages (too much water rots impressive species. is a recent grex. freezing is ideal while dormant. developing roots). Increase watering Owl’, in rosy pink and orange. flowers. Visitors to his display at this as leaves expand after flowering. For gardeners new to pleiones, it year’s Malvern Spring Gardening ✤ Propagation: buy pseudobulbs in is best to start with hybrids, as they Show will have seen burnt oranges December or January as flowering- ✤ Maintenance: in summer keep sized bulbs as big as a gobstopper, plants shaded in a buoyant tend to thrive in similar conditions and burnished golds, including the with one or more peripheral buds atmosphere, watered frequently and are generally straightforward. grexes Pete Chew (named for his at the base. These form the flowers, and fed occasionally. The maxim If possible, choose named clones friend and right-hand man at shows) before producing usually a single ‘fed weakly, weekly’ holds true, of particular grexes, as these have and Sabatini (an Italian volcano). leaf. In summer, each shoot makes using a general, balanced liquid been selected to represent the best Sadly, this year’s display at Malvern a new bulb at its base, leaving the fertiliser diluted to half strength of a particular grex. However, these was Ian’s last, after showing plants for ‘mother’ bulb to wither. This way, once leaves are well formed, selections are increased vegetatively nearly 40 years. But in a glassho use bulbs can double annually. Keep an switching to one high in potassium from a single bulb, a process that can at his home, Ian continues to practice eye out for tiny bulbils that may form from mid-July onwards (such as a take 10 years, so they are expensive his magic, breeding ever more exotic at the tip of the old bulb before it tomato fertiliser, diluted to half the when first released for sale.