Phaius tankervilleae aka Nun's Hood Orchid

Phaius tankervilleae grows in the ground. This orchid is known as nun's orchid. It belongs to the orchid family, Orchidaceae. Its blooms look like hoods, which gives it this name. Kew places its home range in tropical and subtropical Asia. That range extends to the South Pacific. Chicago Botanic Garden gives a range from the Himalayas south through Indonesia. Its account links the plant to cool upland sites, not cold ones. Kew lists its climate as wet tropical. The RHS gives Phaius grandifolius as another name for this species. It is not native to Britain or Ireland.

This plant lives for years and grows upright. It sends up several flower spikes, or stems that bear blooms. It grows in soil, unlike orchids that grow on trees. Kew calls it a geophyte with pseudobulbs. These are swollen parts of the stem, not true bulbs. The supplied species accounts give no full-grown height or spread. They give no details about the leaves, either. Its upright shape and several flower stems form its display. Where you plant it must suit its ground-growing needs. It needs the right soil, not just a place to perch.

Chicago Botanic Garden describes white blooms with rosy pink cups. Its plant record lists pink, red, and white bloom colours too. Bloom colour varies across the plant's home range. The hood shape still gives the plant its common name. The garden lists its bloom time as January through April. Those dates refer to the display that the garden records. They do not apply to every climate where it grows. Blooms rise on several spikes, not just one stem. The supplied accounts do not describe its fruit or seeds. They do not say what pollinates this species.

Grow it in soil that drains well but stays moist. Chicago Botanic Garden says home growers may struggle to meet both needs. Its record lists full sun and part shade. The species account confirms that it can cope with part shade. The garden gives USDA hardiness zones 9–12 for this orchid. It lists uses in beds, borders, and beneath taller plants. It can also grow as a specimen plant. The garden notes that it draws birds and butterflies. The supplied species accounts give no pest or disease details. They do not establish edible uses or safety for people and pets.