Phalaenopsis Journal First Quarter Vol. 21(3) 2012 | Page 10

The Genus Phalaenopsis
in Cultivation
David Lafarge
Chargé de Mission at Société Nationale d’Horticulture de France
T
his paper was originally written in French, and has
been published in the French Orchid Society bul-
letin, l’Orchidophile. It is dedicated to the late Eric
A. Christenson, who improved our knowledge
about this fascinating genus. The history of orchid culti-
vation includes a few main genera. The slipper orchids,
mainly Paphiopedilum, were among favorite collectibles
since the 18th century. In the 19th century, the genus Cat-
tleya, with its large pink flowers became the most fashion-
able orchid genus. Then, the genus Cymbidium became
one of the most important plant genera in the cut-flower
industry. Nowadays, the genus Phalaenopsis is a bestseller
all over the planet. You can find them in every flower shop
or supermarket, and hotel decorators seem to want to put
Phalaenopsis on each free table they can find. Within a
few years, the Phalaenopsis market became extremely im-
portant and the production is now fully industrial. Nev-
ertheless, the genus Phalaenopsis remains widely under-
appreciated among many orchid growers. The genus will
be described over the next several issues of this journal to
promote Phalaenopsis among orchid growers.
We will deal with almost every species, even if they won’t
be fully described. Some very well documented books are
available to the help reader with more details. The species
will be presen