Pterostylis nana
dwarf greenhood
Overview
Pterostylis nana is a small deciduous terrestrial orchid 2-6 inches (5-15 cm) tall, growing from an underground tuber and often forming loose colonies. A basal rosette of 4-8 small ovate leaves 0.2-0.6 inch (5-15 mm) long sits at ground level, and a single hooded flower is carried on a short erect stem. The translucent green-and-white flower, 0.6-0.8 inch (15-20 mm) long, forms a galea or hood from the fused upper sepal and petals, with a hinged sensitive labellum at its centre. When a small insect touches the labellum it snaps inward, briefly trapping the visitor and aiding pollination by fungus gnats. The plant grows in open forest, woodland, and heath on sandy or loamy soils in southern Australia. After flowering in late winter and spring the leaves wither and the tuber stays dormant through the dry summer. As a tuberous orchid with specialised soil-fungus needs, it is slow to establish and is grown mostly by orchid specialists rather than in general gardens.
Native Range
Native to southern Australia, including Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, and Tasmania, where it grows in open forest, woodland, and heath on sandy or loamy soils.Suggested Uses
Grown in pots and terrestrial orchid collections and in native woodland or heath plantings on its native soils. It suits enthusiasts of southern Australian terrestrial orchids.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height2" - 6"
Width/Spread1" - 2"
Bloom Information
Detailed Descriptions
Foliage 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 nana in dappled shade to part sun in free-draining sandy or loamy 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 cultivated stock raised in symbiotic conditions establishes 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