Pterostylis melagramma
tall greenhood
Overview
Pterostylis melagramma is a deciduous terrestrial orchid 8-24 inches (20-60 cm) tall, growing from an underground tuber and often forming colonies. Flowering plants carry several narrow stem leaves rather than a basal rosette, while non-flowering plants form a low rosette. A single translucent green-and-white hooded flower 1-1.4 inches (25-35 mm) long sits near the top of the slender stem, marked with narrow dark green to brownish stripes that give the plant its name. The hood, formed from fused sepals and petals, encloses a hinged labellum that snaps inward when touched, aiding pollination by small fungus gnats. Flowers open in late winter and spring, after which the plant dies back to its tuber and rests through summer. Native to southeastern Australia, it grows in open forest and woodland on well-drained loamy and sandy soils. As a tuberous orchid reliant on soil fungi, it is slow to establish and is grown mainly by terrestrial orchid specialists.
Native Range
Native to southeastern Australia, including Victoria, New South Wales, Tasmania, and South Australia, where it grows in open forest and woodland on well-drained loamy and sandy soils.Suggested Uses
Grown in pots and terrestrial orchid collections and in native woodland plantings on its native soils. It suits enthusiasts of southern Australian ground orchids and conservation collections.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height8" - 2'
Width/Spread2" - 4"
Bloom Information
Detailed Descriptions
Flower Description
green and white with dark stripesFoliage Description
greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 2-5 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
Grow Pterostylis melagramma in dappled shade to part sun in free-draining loamy or sandy soil with a leaf-litter surface. Water during the cool growing season from autumn to spring, then keep the dormant tuber dry through summer. It associates with specific soil fungi and is difficult to transplant from the wild, so plants raised in symbiotic culture establish more reliably. Container culture in a free-draining terrestrial orchid mix suits this species. It is frost-tolerant during winter growth within its native range. Overwatering during summer dormancy rots the tuber.Pruning
No pruning is required. Spent flower stems and withered leaves can be removed once the plant enters summer dormancy. Leaving the tuber undisturbed in its pot or bed supports return growth the following season.Container Growing
✓ Suitable for container growing
Minimum container size: 1 gallons