Fifi And The Flowertots Pop

Okay, let's start with the obvious way to identify orchids....does it have a tag? Maybe it's stuck deep in the pot or on a stick inserted into the soil? If there's no tag you might want to go back to where you bought it and see if there's another plant just like it with a tag. Or you could call the grower you bought it from and ask.

Let's assume that you've gotten hold of the tag. Check it out and see if it has the name of one of the types below or includes an abbreviation that reminds you of any of the following orchid types: Cymbidium, Cattleya (or Laelia), Phalaenopsis, Dendrobium, Paphiopedilum, or Vanda. If so, you have your answer. There might also be a couple of letters that are a combination of the names above, in which case you have a hybrid.

There two types of orchids and it's pretty easy to figure out which is which. Knowing what you have will help you in identification. First there are sympodial orchids. They grow horizontally across a pot, kind of like a creeping vine. The stem is called a rhizome and will lie across the surface of the potting medium and roots will sprout along its length and grow downward. They will produce pseudobulbs which are thick vertical stems. Common sympodial types are Cattleya (or Laelia), Cymbidium, Dendrobium, Miltonia, Ondontoglossum, Oncidium and Pahiopedilum.

The other type is called a monopodial orchid. They grow upward on a single stem. They only grow a couple of leaves each year. Common monopodial types are: Phalaenopsis, Vanda and Angraecum.

If you don't have the tag and don't know the grower there are other clues to point you in the right direction. The easiest way to identify an orchid is by its flowers. You really can't identify it by the color of its blooms as there are so many colors for the same type, but in combination with some other features, the color of the bloom will help you out. You can also look at the shape of the bloom, patterns on the bloom and size of the bloom as well and get some idea as to what kind you have by looking at pictures of the blooms of different orchids.

Perhaps your orchid is not in bloom? This makes things a little more difficult but not impossible. Taking a look at leaves and some other characteristics will help you to identify it. It will take a little bit of sleuthing but you will probably be able to identify your orchid eventually.

David E. Carlson is a longtime gardening & orchid enthusiast. For more information about how to visit .