Habenaria radiata(JP027)

One of Japan’s most famous orchids is the delicate terrestrial species, the egret flower, Habenaria radiata. This plant’s flower indeed looks much like a snowy egret with its display plumage puffed out. Despite being well known world wide, ironically this species is imperiled in the wild. In addition, most growers find it a bit difficult to keep for more than a season or two, but that is mostly a problem with cultural requirements, as we shall see.
The leaves are grasslike, up to 7 in number, and are between 5-20 cm long, and about 1 cm wide each. New leaves are formed each spring, starting out as small leafy growths that extend upward over the summer. They are arranged alternately up a single stem that continues on as an unbranched flower spike up to 50 cm tall, but usually much shorter than that. Flowering commences in late July and peaks in August.