15 Types of Orchids Every Houseplant Lover Should Know
If this is your first orchid
Buy a Phalaenopsis. It is forgiving, available everywhere, blooms for two to four months, and lives happily in the same conditions as the rest of your houseplants.
Keep one alive for a year and the natural next steps are Dendrobium or Oncidium, both of which add variety without changing anything about your routine. Leave Vanda, Masdevallia and the trickier Bulbophyllums until you have a few seasons behind you.
All fifteen at a glance
| Orchid | Difficulty | Light | Substrate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phalaenopsis | Easy | Low to medium | Medium bark |
| Dendrobium | Easy | Bright indirect | Medium bark |
| Epidendrum | Easy | Very bright | Medium bark |
| Cattleya | Intermediate | Very bright | Coarse bark |
| Oncidium | Intermediate | Bright indirect | Medium bark |
| Brassia | Intermediate | Bright indirect | Medium bark |
| Coelogyne | Intermediate | Cool and humid | Medium bark |
| Cymbidium | Intermediate | Cool nights required | Terrestrial blend |
| Zygopetalum | Intermediate | Bright indirect | Terrestrial blend |
| Miltonia | Intermediate | Cool and humid | Fine bark |
| Paphiopedilum | Intermediate | Low to medium | Fine bark with sphagnum |
| Lycaste | Intermediate | Cool and humid | Terrestrial blend |
| Masdevallia | Advanced | Cool and humid | Fine sphagnum |
| Bulbophyllum | Advanced | Varies by species | Sphagnum or mounted |
| Vanda | Advanced | Very bright | None — mounted |
The five you will actually meet
Phalaenopsis — the moth orchid, the supermarket one
Easy — start here. Tolerates low to medium light, ordinary indoor humidity of 40 to 60 per cent, and normal household temperatures. Blooms last two to four months and it reblooms annually when happy.
Water by soak and drain every 7 to 10 days in winter, every 5 to 7 in summer, letting the bark dry almost completely first. Light from an east or west window, or south behind a sheer curtain. Direct midday sun burns the leaves.
Dendrobium — thousands of species, two you will see
Easy. The common houseplant types are Dendrobium nobile and, confusingly, Dendrobium phalaenopsis. Light needs match Phalaenopsis. Water regularly through spring and summer and cut back sharply in winter, since some species need a cool dry rest before they will bloom.
Cattleya — the showy one, often fragrant
Intermediate. Pseudobulbs, the thickened stems that store water, make it more drought-tolerant than a Phalaenopsis and correspondingly fussier about light.
Too little light is the single most common reason a Cattleya refuses to bloom. A south or west window with morning sun is ideal. It will tolerate drying out completely. It will not tolerate sitting wet.
Oncidium — dancing lady, the prolific bloomer
Intermediate. Sprays of dozens of small flowers, usually yellow with brown markings. The Sharry Baby cultivar genuinely smells of chocolate. Smaller pseudobulbs and finer roots than a Cattleya, so it prefers slightly steadier moisture while still drying between waterings.
Paphiopedilum — the slipper orchid, semi-terrestrial
Intermediate, and different. Its roots are adapted to forest floor leaf litter rather than tree bark, so it wants to stay evenly moist and tolerates lower light than any other orchid here. A north window or a bright interior room suits it. A standard chunky bark mix is too coarse, so blend in fine bark and sphagnum.
The three that need something else
Twelve of the fifteen are happy in a medium-grade bark mix. These three are not, and it is worth knowing before you buy one.
- Vanda. Not grown in a pot at all. Bare roots hang in an open basket and get drenched daily until they turn from silver to green. Needs near full sun or grow lights.
- Paphiopedilum. Wants fine bark with sphagnum for moisture retention. A chunky epiphyte mix dries too fast for roots evolved in leaf litter.
- Masdevallia. Small jewel-like flowers, and a demand for cool humid conditions all year. Sphagnum-based, and realistically a grow-tent plant in most homes.
Covers 12 of the 15 — Molly’s Orchid Mix: medium-grade pine bark, coco chips, biochar and mineral grit. Built around Phalaenopsis, and equally at home under Dendrobium, Oncidium, Cattleya and the rest of the epiphytes.
Common questions
Can I grow orchids without a south-facing window?
Yes, for Phalaenopsis and Paphiopedilum in particular. East and west windows work perfectly well. A north-facing room is challenging but workable with grow lights.
How long do orchid blooms last?
Phalaenopsis two to four months, Dendrobium four to eight weeks, Cattleya two to four weeks. Most orchids bloom once a year, so the long-flowering Phalaenopsis really is the outlier.
Do orchids need special humidity?
Most are content at 40 to 60 per cent, which is ordinary indoor humidity. Miltonia and Masdevallia want 60 to 80, which usually means a humidifier or grouping plants together.
Why will my orchid not rebloom?
Almost always too little light, followed by no night-time temperature drop, since many orchids need a 10 to 15°F differential to trigger flowering. Old decomposed bark is a third cause, stressing the plant out of its cycle.
Are all orchid mixes the same?
No, and most on the shelf are too fine. Look for medium-grade bark with mineral grit and biochar, and avoid sphagnum-only mixes for most species, since Phalaenopsis in particular hates them. Read the ingredient list rather than the front of the bag.
One mix for the whole shelf
Medium-grade pine bark, coco chips, biochar and mineral grit — built around Phalaenopsis and suited to twelve of the fifteen.
Shop Molly’s Orchid Mix → · Take the free Soil Finder quiz →
Keep reading: Orchid care 101 · Do orchids need soil? · Orchid care guide
