Plant Category: Philippines

Alocasia ‘Ninja’ plants thrive in a very humid environment making these plants ideally suited to growing inside a terrarium, vivarium, or bottle garden.  However, terrariums and bottle gardens are not universally the same, different enclosures will provide contrasting growing conditions.  When choosing a terrarium and deciding on a location to cultivate Alocasia ‘Ninja’, remember that these plants won’t be happy in a shaded environment – Alocasia ‘Ninja’ require bright but indirect light to be able to thrive. 

Asplenium nidus is a gorgeous fern from Australia, Borneo, Sumatra, Sulawesi, New Guinea, Christmas Island, and the Philippines.  In the wild, Asplenium nidus often grows as an epiphytic fern, making its home on the branches and trunks of trees in rainforests.  Epiphytic plants are different from parasitic plants.  Epiphytic ferns grow upon another plant but they don’t steal any nutrients from their host plants; epiphytes simply use their host to raise themselves up to a more profitable growing position where they enjoy improved light levels, moisture, and humidity.

Phalaenopsis equestris f. alba is the white flowered form of Phalaneopsis equestris.  Many of the orchids I write about are miniature or even mini-miniature sized; however, Phalaenopsis equestris is a small sized orchid species, which forms plants that grow too large in size for this orchid species to be considered for planting inside many terrariums and orchidariums.

Phalaenopsis sumatrana is a small to medium sized orchid species.  Please note that I usually write about miniature orchids that are much more easily accommodated inside terrariums and orchidariums.  If you want to grow Phalaenopsis sumatrana inside a terrarium or vivarium, you will need a very large enclosure to provide sufficient room for this orchid species.

The common name for this orchid species is the Sumatran Phalaenopsis. 

Microsaccus griffithii is a mini miniature sized orchid species from Borneo, Cambodia, Java, Myanmar, Malaysia, the Philippines, Sumatra, Thailand, and Vietnam.  This gorgeous orchid is an epiphyte; it grows upon another plant and does very well when mounted onto a piece of cork bark, a branch or a twig.

This miniature orchid thrives in intermediate temperatures.  Place your Microsaccus griffithii plant in a position where your plant will enjoy soft, indirect light. 

Bolbitis heteroclita ‘Difformis’ is miniature fern that can be grown both as a terrarium plant and as an aquarium plant.  This fern can be used a part of an aquascape planting, where it will slowly form low feathery carpets of green to cover the sides of your tank.  Alternatively, Bolbitis heteroclita ‘Difformis’ can grow as a submerged plant, underwater.  This is a useful miniature, low-growing fern, with dark-green, finely-cut fronds that remind me a little of parsley.

Phalaenopsis pallens is a small sized orchid species that hails from the Philippines.  This is an epiphytic orchid species that grows upon trees in forested areas of Palawan, Bataan, Bukidnon, and Mindanao.  Plants thrive in warm to hot temperatures and high humidity.

The name of this orchid: ‘Phalaenopsis pallens’ means the ‘pale Phalaenopsis’, which refers to this orchid’s yellow coloured flowers. 

Phalaenopsis lindenii is an epiphytic orchid species, which is endemic to the island of Luzon, in the Philippines.  This beautiful orchid is sadly now endangered, threatened by those who have taken wild plants to sell to the local and international orchid trade.  Like many other orchids, Phalaenopsis lindenii is threatened by human activities.  The increasing population in Luzon has led to greater housing construction in the areas where these plants grow. 

Phalaenopsis pulchra is a rather charming epiphytic orchid species from the Philippines.  The second part of this orchid’s botanical name – the specific epithet – is taken from the latin ‘pulcher’ which means beautiful.  Plants produce vibrant, rather glamorous, shocking pink flowers which have a polished, glossy sheen.  This is a very popular and beautiful orchid.  Phalaenopsis pulchra produces vivid pink flowers that really have the wow factor, but this plant is very handsome even when it’s not in bloom, its smooth leaves are held with a certain elegance and poise.

Phalaenopsis fasciata is a species of epiphytic orchid, which originates from the Philippines, where this small sized orchid species can be found growing on trees, alongside rivers.

Phalaenopsis fasciata is a small sized orchid, but it’s larger than many of the miniature orchids in my planting lists and may be too large for your terrarium.  This orchid species requires warm to hot temperatures, bright filtered light, and high humidity, with a drier rest period during the winter months in order to flourish.

I tend to focus my attentions on miniature and mini-miniature sized orchids; however, Phalaenopsis equestris is a larger orchid species.  This is a small to medium sized orchid, which grows too large to be considered inside any small or medium sized terrariums or bottle gardens.  Phalaenopsis equestris is an epiphytic orchid species, which originates from Taiwan and the Philippines.

These orchids thrive in warm temperatures. 

Phalaenopsis cornu-cervi ‘Green’ is a species of epiphytic and lithophytic orchid that originates from Java, Borneo, Myanmar, Thailand, India, Laos, and other regions, where this small sized orchid can be found growing upon rocks, trees, or other plants, in various environments, from areas of forest near rivers and in lowland locations.  Phalaenopsis cornu-cervi ‘Green’ plants can be found growing in both exposed and sheltered locations, with quite different light levels and conditions in their native environments.

Phalaenopsis cornu-cervi ‘Red’ is a species of epiphytic and lithophytic orchid that originates from Java, Borneo, Myanmar, Thailand, India, Laos, and other regions, where this small sized orchid can be found growing upon rocks, trees, or other plants, in various environments, from areas of forest near rivers and in lowland locations.  Phalaenopsis cornu-cervi ‘Red’ plants can be found growing in both exposed and sheltered locations, with quite different light levels and conditions in their native environments.

Phalaenopsis lueddemanniana ‘Woodlawn’ is a small to medium sized epiphytic orchid species that originates from the Philippines.  In terms of this plant’s naming, Phalaenopsis lueddemanniana is the name of this orchid’s species, while the ‘Woodlawn’ part of this plant’s name, refers to the fact that this particular plant is a clone of a particularly good performing plant within the species.

I have found that Phalaenopsis lueddemanniana ‘Woodlawn’ plants favour growing in a humid environment, in warm to hot temperates, under diffused, filtered light.

Phalaenopsis equestris ‘Aparri’ is a small to medium sized orchid species; this particular flowered form originates from the Municipality of Aparri, in the Philippines.  It’s an epiphytic orchid species, that grows upon the branches and trunks of trees, in forested areas.  This form of Phalaenopsis equestris differs from the species in the colour of the plant’s flowers – the lip is a reddish-orange-pink. 

Ceratostylis pristina, is a newly described species of miniature, epiphytic orchid that originates from the Kalatungan mountain range, in the Philippines.  Ceratostylis pristina, produces beautiful, pure white, crystalline flowers, which at  about 1-2cm (0.5″) are very large in comparison to the size of the plant.  This orchid looks really rather beautiful, it can appear almost magical as the sunlight sparkles over its flowers in the morning.

Phalaenopsis deliciosa var. alba is the white form of Phalaenopsis deliciosa.

Phalaenopsis deliciosa var. alba is a miniature, epiphytic orchid species, which originates from many places including: Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar, Vietnam, and the Philippines.  Plants can usually be found growing upon trees, in areas of humid forest.  This orchid species is often found growing near water.

You can see photographs of this Phalaenopsis deliciosa var.

Phalaenopsis deliciosa is a miniature, epiphytic orchid species, which originates from many places, including: Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar, Vietnam, Thailand, India, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and the Philippines.  This epiphytic orchid species is often found growing upon trees that are growing near water; plants flourish in humid, forested areas.

In its native environment, Phalaenopsis deliciosa enjoys warm to hot temperatures and very high humidity, it’s important to try to replicate these conditions to grow this orchid successfully. 

Ceratocentron fesselii is an epiphytic plant.  This is a mini-miniature orchid species, which is endemic to the mountain range of Nueva Ecija, on Luzon Island.

This miniature orchid is critically endangered.  Sadly despite its rarity, Ceratocentron fesselii is still being over collected.  Instead of allowing this orchid the chance to succeed in the wild; some humans are still greedily hunting this plant, for their own financial gain. 

Bulbophyllum sessile is a miniature orchid species.  This epiphytic orchid originates from a number of places in South East Asia, including: Fiji, Burma, Java, Laos, Malaysia, New Guinea, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.  This little orchid can be seen growing on the small, twiggy branches of trees, it’s usually found growing in areas of evergreen forest.

Bulbophyllum sessile flourishes in cool and intermediate, to warm temperatures.