Heritage Orchids

Specialising in Pleiones

Hi, wouldn't you like to grow Pleiones like this awarded bowl of Pleione Tongariro ? Then look no further - Pleiones will do that for you, given a little care and attention.

Close-up of flowers. Tongariro is my great favourite, tall, elegant and long lasting, flowering mid April to mid May. There are 70 pseudobulbs in this bowl and it took four years from a starter of 5 bulbs to reach this size.

Hi all,

November 2020 - My pleiones have been harvested and oiled and are resting in their winter quarters.

Covid-19 has put severe limitations on my activities. Due to the latest restrictions I am unable to visit my post office, therefore it is impossible for me to post pleiones. So I have decided to keep my shop closed.

Sorry if I disappoint you, it was not my plan but I have no power to change things.

In addition, Brexit will stop any pleione trade outside the United Kingdom and I regret to say goodbye to my many foreign customers and friends.

My website stays up so that people get the benefit of pleione pictures and cultural instructions.

Some things will get better - I wish you well.
                  Maren

State of Play: 10th November 2020

My shop is now Closed and will not re-open until further notice.

 Welcome to Heritage Orchids, my Pleione  Nursery, where you will find a selection of easy to grow near hardy pleiones. 

The pleiones are offered as flowering size bulbs (FS) and younger bulbs (FS-1). 
FS:         The flowering size bulbs will generally have one or two buds when dispatched. 
FS-1:     The smaller bulbs will need to grow one more year before flowering. 
If you are new to Pleiones, you may not want to take that risk - go for flowering size. 

NB. I use 'pseudobulbs' and 'bulbs' interchangeably; 'bulbs' is shorter and I trust you know what I mean.

What happens after the bulb gets to you is entirely up to your skill, i.e. correct compost, adequate watering, appropriate temperature etc. Full instructions are given, so don't worry, just follow them and you should be rewarded with the most delicate and appealing flowers. There is also extensive growing information on this site.

Something to think about

All our plants are from 'cultivated' stock, acquired either as young bulbs or seedlings from reputable growers, mainly in the UK and some from Continental Europe. We do not sell plants taken from the wild.

Depending on the species or hybrid, orchids may take anything between 4 and 8 years to flower from seed. This explains why they aren’t cheap, as they need to be looked after for a long time, during which losses occur from adverse weather conditions, predation by slugs and snails etc. However, it all seems worthwhile as they are such a joy to behold, and they convey a great sense of achievement when they flower and grow into large clumps.

And let us not ignore the conservation benefits, which arise from growing seed-raised orchids. The more there are and the easier they are to obtain, the less pressure there will be on wild populations of these delightful plants. In nature, they suffer from habitat destruction by the advances of loggers and property developers as well as the indiscriminate pilferage of commercial collectors. So let's grow lots of them to ensure their conservation.