Caladenia carnea
pink lady fingers
Overview
Caladenia carnea, known as pink fingers or pink lady fingers, is a small tuberous terrestrial orchid widespread in southeastern Australia. Each plant grows from an underground tuber and produces a single narrow, hairy leaf 1.5-4 inches (4-10 cm) long at the base. A slender hairy stem 3-10 inches (8-25 cm) tall carries one to four flowers in spring, most often one or two. The flowers are 0.8-1.2 inches (20-30 mm) across, pale to deep pink, with narrow spreading sepals and petals and a small central lip banded with red stripes and tipped with yellow calli. After flowering the plant dies back to its tuber and rests through the dry summer. C. carnea grows in open forest, woodland, and heath on well-drained sandy or loamy acidic soils, often in light shade, and reappears in numbers after fire. Native bees pollinate the flowers, which produce no nectar. Like other terrestrial orchids it relies on soil fungi and is difficult to grow or transplant.
Native Range
Native to southeastern Australia, including Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, and South Australia, and also recorded in New Zealand. It grows in open forest, woodland, and heath on well-drained soils, from the coast to the ranges.Suggested Uses
Grown mainly in native terrestrial-orchid collections and bushland conservation within its range. It adds spring color to native gardens where its fungal partners are present. It is a plant for orchid specialists rather than general cultivation.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height3" - 10"
Width/Spread1" - 3"
Bloom Information
Flowering runs through spring, from about August to November depending on region, and is often heaviest after summer or autumn fire. Each plant opens one to four flowers over a couple of weeks. Native bees pollinate the flowers, which carry no nectar reward.
Detailed Descriptions
Flower Description
pink with red-striped lipFoliage Description
greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 3-7 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight
Care & Maintenance
Care Guide
In the wild the orchid grows in light shade to full sun on sandy or loamy, sharply drained acidic soil. Growth and flowering come in the cool, moist months, after which the plant dies back to its tuber for a dry summer rest. It depends on native soil fungi and rarely survives transplanting or ordinary cultivation. Disturbance, weeds, and loss of habitat reduce wild colonies. Light frost is tolerated while the plant is in leaf. Summer waterlogging rots the dormant tuber.Pruning
No pruning is needed. The single leaf and flower stem wither as the plant enters summer dormancy. Leaf litter is left over the resting tuber.Container Growing
✓ Suitable for container growing
Minimum container size: 1 gallons