Species · genus Phalaenopsis · Orchidaceae

Moth Orchid

Phalaenopsis amabilis (L.) Blume

Also known as: Moon Orchid · White Moth Orchid · Phalaenopsis Orchid

Growth habit

epiphyte

Native range

Bismarck Archipelago, Borneo, Jawa, Lesser Sunda Is., Maluku, New Guinea, Philippines, Queensland, Sulawesi, Sumatera

Reference · P. amabilis

Cultivars of P. amabilis

The named forms growers keep — each with its own page, each honest about how much we know.

No named cultivars catalogued under P. amabilis yet. When growers document a stable, named form, it earns its own page here.

Guide

The species-level account. Cultivar pages build on this and say where they differ.

Phalaenopsis amabilis is a tropical epiphytic orchid that in the wild clings to tree bark, with roots exposed to air and quick-draining conditions. Grow it in a coarse, free-draining medium such as bark, where its roots are never left sitting wet, and give it warmth and bright indirect light away from direct sun. Water when the roots fade from green to silvery-grey and the bark surface feels dry, then water thoroughly and let it approach dryness again before the next watering.

Care recipe

The species record — the baseline every cultivar inherits unless it says otherwise.

Care notes are early — not yet verified

Light: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Water: ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 7-12d)
Humidity: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Soil: ai:claude-fable-5
Care: ai:claude-fable-5

Light

Bright, indirect

Water

≈ every 12 days

Humidity

High

Temperature

18–29 °C

Soil mix

Coarse orchid bark mix — never standard potting soil

Propagation

Keikis — plantlets that form on the flower spike

Fertilizing

Weakly, weekly: quarter-strength orchid feed while in growth

Growth rate

Slow

Flowering

Long-lasting sprays, often winter into spring; cooler nights trigger rebloom

ToxicityAuthoritative · species

Not yet documented

This is where toxicity lives — every cultivar of this species inherits it and none can override it.

Reference images

Every image credited. Licenses link to their deeds.

No reference gallery yet

A few clear photos — habit, a mature leaf, a flower if it blooms — would give this page its eyes.

Add images

Sources: ai:claude-opus-4-8 · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 7-12d) · ai:claude-fable-5

Kept true by its growers

Every fact here carries its source. Grow Moth Orchid yourself? What you’ve observed — how it drinks, how it holds its color, a name that’s off — is exactly what keeps this page honest. Contributions are reviewed before anything changes.