Fragrant orchids, discover these strong-scented orchids!

Drooping stems hung with 5-inch red-spotted yellow flowers, waxy starry clusters, blooms smelling of forest underbrush or of Lily-of-the-Nile: a lot of orchid species pair stunning beauty with pleasant scents. Most share one requirement, strong light and a marked difference between night and day temperatures, and meeting it brings heady fragrance right through the house.

Let’s focus on lovely fragrant orchid with our selection of delicious-smelling fragrances.

• Discover: all about orchids

Stanhopea wardii, a hanging orchid with a scent of summer

Truly one of a kind, Stanhopea wardii is an orchid with a long, drooping flower stem. The best way to grow it is to hang it in an open, well-ventilated basket.

In summer, large 5-inch flowers (12 cm) appear, displaying reversed red-spotted yellow petals and sepals. From them, a heady, fabulous scent wafts out.

The blooming is particularly abundant when you can guarantee a 15°F (10°C) variation in temperature between night and day.

Grow Stanhopea wardii in a slatted wooden basket or open mesh lined with sphagnum, because the flower spike burrows downwards and has to exit through the base.

Phalenopsis ‘Sweet Memory’, scented in warm weather

From among the most fragrant orchids, the ‘Sweet Memory’ stands out with a thick, star-shaped flower that releases its fragrance when it gets hot. This species also boasts another unique trait: leaves are very wide, and a fresh, bright green color.

Do not cut the spike back once the last flower drops, because Phalaenopsis ‘Sweet Memory’ opens fresh buds from the same elongating stem over a long spell.

Cymbidium atropurpureum, a long-lasting scented orchid

This orchid, Cymbidium atropurpureum has a particularly appealing feature: the blooming lasts a very long time, from the end of summer deep into fall.

Its fascinating flowers are a sharp purple color, clashing with a labellum that’s white with red spots. A sweet fragrance adds even more appeal!

Bolster blooming of this sweet flower with a lot of light, and again a strong drop in temperatures between night and day.

To learn more:

• Cymbidium: as beautiful as it is easy to care for

Cattleya intermedia ‘Alba’, fragrant but hard to grow

In an ideal environment, Cattleya intermedia ‘Alba’ produces large, very odoriferous white flowers over the course of spring.

Trigger this exceptional flowering with bright light and strong temperature jumps between night (60°F / 15°C) and day (70-75°F / 20-25°F).

• Most epiphytes do best in a coarse, fast-draining bark mix, but how dry to let it get depends on the species: drought-tolerant orchids want near-dryness, while moisture-loving epiphytes prefer steady dampness.
• For sympodial orchids such as Cattleyas, repot just as new roots emerge from the base of the newest growth, since roots disturbed then re-establish most readily; other plants follow different timing rules.

Epidendrum stamfordianum ‘Galaxy’, a very fragrant starry orchid

The starry clusters of Epidendrum stamfordianum ‘Galaxy’ also satisfy another sense – smell – with their strong perfume.

They’re of course very ornamental, with a waxy touch and yellow, purple-mottled livery. All in all, it’ll droop down more than 3 feet (1 meter), so hang it accordingly for flowers to be appreciated!

Another defining characteristic is that it’s a part-sun orchid.

It’s also simply called “Epidendrum orchid”.

• Many epiphytic orchids grow best mounted on a bark slab or potted in a coarse, very free-draining basket mix, since their aerial roots generally rot if kept constantly wet.
• Resist tidying away older leafless pseudobulbs: they store water and nutrients that help the plant through dry spells or stress, so leave them attached unless they are shrivelled, rotting or diseased.

Acineta superba ‘Monique’, a sturdy forest-smelling orchid

Acineta superba ‘Monique’ is a resilient orchid that produces hanging clusters of flowers. They’re usually tan with uncountable tiny white spots.

Their surprising scent is similar to that of lush growth in forest underbrush. This orchid also appreciates relatively low temperatures.

• Grow Stanhopea orchids in open slatted or wire baskets, because their flower spikes push downwards from the base of the pseudobulb and will be trapped, and usually lost, inside a solid-walled pot.
• Epiphyllum oxypetalum, the queen of the night, opens its large, waxy, strongly fragrant white flowers for just one night, so check the developing buds daily if you want to catch the scent.
• Orchids and other epiphytes native to humid montane forests generally grow best with high humidity combined with steady air movement around the basket, which helps prevent rot on constantly damp roots.

Osmoglossum pulchellum, a fragrance similar to lily-of-the-nile

The winter blooming of Osmoglossum pulchellum releases a pleasant smell similar to that of Lily-of-the-Nile.

In a lean-in or in a room without much heating, it produces cute white flowers, staged along 2-foot (50 cm) flower scape.

• When buying the lily-of-the-valley orchid (Osmoglossum pulchellum), look for it under its older name, Odontoglossum pulchellum, which may still appear in nursery catalogues and plant labels.
• Watering needs depend on the species: some pseudobulbous orchids require a distinct dry winter rest while others grow year-round, so identify your plant and follow its specific care guidance before watering continuously.
• For fine-rooted orchids such as oncidiums and miniature phalaenopsis, repot into a fine-grade bark mix once flowering has finished and new roots or shoots are just beginning to appear.

Rhynchostylis retusa ‘Jairak’, a powerfully scented orchid

The tight flower clusters, with white and purple-spotted blooms, of the Rhynchostylis retusa ‘Jairak’ orchid will spread a heady fragrance throughout the house in the springtime.

With its long, hanging flower scape, this orchid is best grown in a hanging pot, and always in full light.

• Vanda orchids, which have thick aerial roots, are usually grown bare-root in slatted wooden baskets or in very coarse bark, because fine, water-retaining compost keeps those roots too wet and invites rot.
• For plants prone to crown rot — African violets, cyclamen, rosette succulents, strawberries — avoid leaving water pooled in the crown, since standing moisture there can encourage rot in susceptible species.
• Repot basket-grown Vanda orchids only when necessary: their aerial roots cling tightly to the slats and break easily, and growers commonly report that disturbed plants need time to re-establish before flowering again.

Angraecum longicalcar, a rare night-blooming scent

Very rare, Angraecum longicalcar is a vigorous orchid that produces surprising white flowers equipped with a green spur that’s nearly 2 feet long (50-60 cm) long! Surprising flowers indeed, delivering a fresh night-like scent.

Angraecum longicalcar is an orchid that needs a setting that’s both well-lit and warm 68-75°F (20 à 24 °C).

Orchids without pseudobulbs, such as Phalaenopsis and Paphiopedilum, lack that water-storing organ, so their potting medium is generally kept evenly moist rather than allowed to dry out completely between waterings.

Fragrant orchids compared: scent, season and conditions

Also worth seeking are Oncidium ‘Sharry Baby’ and Oncidium ‘Twinkle’, fine-rooted orchids to repot into a fine-grade bark mix once flowering has finished, and Cymbidium ‘Golden Elf’, from a genus whose blooming is bolstered by plenty of light and a strong night-day temperature drop.

Each of these orchids perfumes in its own way, and each asks for something slightly different in return. Use the table to match a scent to the season and the spot you can offer.

Most of them share one requirement: strong light and a marked difference between night and day temperatures.

A few smelling orchids… that are real stinkers!

Some orchids of the Bulbophyllum group release an unpleasant smell. Bulbophyllum beccari , for instance, exhales an odor not unlike that of runny old cheese, whereas Bulbophyllum echinolabium smells like horse manure, and Bulbophyllum putridum will make you search around the house for a dead rat.

But these aren’t the only stinkers of the orchid realm! Masdevallia flowers come a close second, if not first… For example, the orchid called Masdevallia colossus also has a stomach-turning smell of rotting flesh, and Masdevallia triangularis reminds of overgrown mold.

To learn more:

• Phalaenopsis orchid: how to get beautiful blooming
• Watering orchids the right way

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