Eriochilus cucullatus
Parson's bands
Overview
Eriochilus cucullatus is a small terrestrial orchid growing from an underground tuber, sending up a slender flowering stem 2-10 inches (5-25 cm) tall in autumn. A single small, oval to heart-shaped leaf 0.4-1.2 inches (1-3 cm) long sits low on the stem and often develops fully only after flowering. The stem carries one to several flowers, each about 0.6-0.8 inch (1.5-2 cm) across, with two broad, spreading white lateral sepals held like a pair of bands, a small hooded upper sepal, and reduced petals; the central labellum is dark, small, and hairy. Flowers open from late summer into autumn, often appearing on bare stems before the rains bring on the leaf. After seeding, the plant dies back to its tuber and stays dormant through the warmer months. It grows in heath, woodland, and coastal scrub and depends on soil fungi for germination and growth. Plants often flower in numbers after summer fire or rain.
Native Range
Eriochilus cucullatus is native to eastern and south-eastern Australia, from Queensland through New South Wales and Victoria to Tasmania and South Australia. It grows in heath, dry sclerophyll woodland, and coastal scrub on sandy and gravelly well-drained soils that are moist in autumn and winter.Suggested Uses
Eriochilus cucullatus is grown by terrestrial-orchid enthusiasts in containers and in native ground beds that follow its autumn-wet, summer-dry cycle. It is used in conservation and habitat plantings within its native range. Its fungal dependence and dormancy make it unsuited to general garden borders.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height2" - 10"
Width/Spread2" - 4"
Bloom Information
Flowers open from late summer into autumn, mainly March to May, for a few weeks each season. Flowering often follows autumn rain or summer fire and can be sparse in dry years. The leaf usually expands fully after the flowers fade.
Detailed Descriptions
Foliage Description
greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 4-9 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
Eriochilus cucullatus grows in full sun to light shade in sandy or gravelly well-drained soil that is moist in autumn and winter and dry over summer. It depends on associated soil fungi and the natural seasonal cycle, which makes it hard to grow away from its habitat. Plants are dormant as tubers through the warmer months and need no water then. Soil disturbance and loss of the fungal partner cause decline. It is grown by specialist terrestrial-orchid growers in deep pots of sandy mix kept dry in summer. Slugs and snails graze the buds and flowers.Pruning
No pruning is needed. The leaf and flower stem die back naturally after seeding as the plant enters summer dormancy. Dead stems are removed once they have browned.Container Growing
✓ Suitable for container growing
Minimum container size: 1 gallons