Now if you have killed off the last five African violets that you have owned, you may want to start with a couple of the easier orchids to grow. The Phalaenopsis or moth orchid is great for beginners. Moth orchids are showy flowers of pink, white or yellow held on arching sprays that look like a flock of fluttering moths. Do not remove old flower spikes and most often, one or even two branches will appear, with the promise of more blooms in eight to 12 weeks. The flowers will last an amazing two to five months.
Moth orchids are native to Asian jungles where they cling with long thick roots to rocks and trees.
They get their moisture from rain, dew and humidity and their nutrients from decaying leaves and other debris that accumulate among their roots. This may not sound like your living room, but the conditions are fairly easy to reproduce indoors. The American Orchid Society has outlined five simple criteria for growing orchids as houseplants. Orchids require bright light to bloom such as an east, west or south window but they should be protected from direct sun. Too much light will burn the foliage and too little light will result in little growth or no blooms.