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Products > Epidendrum 'Purple'
 
Epidendrum 'Purple' - Purple Reed Stem Orchid

San Marcos Growers has permanently closed as a business. This is an archived page preserved for informational use.  
Image of Epidendrum 'Purple'
[2nd Image]
Habit and Cultural Information
Category: Perennial
Family: Orchidaceae (Orchids)
Origin: Tropical America
Evergreen: Yes
Flower Color: Purple
Bloomtime: Year-round
Height: 2-3 feet
Width: 2-3 feet
Exposure: Light Shade/Part Sun
Irrigation (H2O Info): Medium Water Needs
Winter Hardiness: 25-30° F
Epidendrum 'Purple' (Purple Reed Stem Orchid) - This evergreen orchid holds leafy stems growing up to 30 inches tall, producing balls of 30 or more brilliantly colored 1-inch purple flowers on 18 inch terminal spikes.

Strong, sturdy growth comes when plants are placed in bright light, even full sun along the coast. It benefits from fertilizer, and thrives when grown in a rich, fast-draining humus mix. It will tolerate temperatures down to 25-30° F for brief periods. Our plants under tree cover survived a drop below 20° F in the freeze of 1990.

This unnamed variety is locally popular in Santa Barbara as it is extremely floriferous on abundant stout flower spikes that rise throughout the year. In time plants develop keikis (Hawaiian term for "babies"), which are new vegetative growths produced on old stems and flower spikes. Once these keikis develop their own 2- to 4-inch-long roots, they can easily be detached from the stem and planted individually in pots and grow readily in almost any setting, whether in a pot, mounted on a cork slab, or in raised flowerbeds outdoors, as climate permits. 

The information displayed on this page about Epidendrum 'Purple' is based on our research conducted about this plant from books in our nursery library as well as from information that is provided by reliable online resources. We also have included our own observations made about it as it grew in the nursery gardens and other gardens visited, as well how the crops of this plant performed in the containers when we had them in our nursery field. We also include comments received from others and welcome hearing from anyone who has information about this plant, particularly if it includes cultural information aiding others to better grow it.

 
We closed for regular business at the end of 2025 in order for the property to be developed for affordable housing.
Our gates remain closed but we will open them by appointment to interested parties as we liquidate remaining supplies and equipment.