Christmas Orchid (Calanthe triplicata)
The Christmas Orchid is one of our most spectacular native orchids and as the name suggests, it flowers around Christmas time and often well into January and early February. It is a tall growing orchid with 4-10 dark green pleated leaves to 90 cm long. Each plant has one or two stalks with up to 40 individual bright white flowers reaching 150 cm, well above the leaves. Unlike many ground orchids, it retains its leaves throughout the year and is referred to as an evergreen terrestrial orchid. It occurs in rainforest or near creeks in wet eucalypt forest north from the Illawarra district.
Locally it can be seen from the boardwalk and along the northern side of Shelly Beach Road in Sea Acres National Park, and in Bago Bluff National Park, particularly along the walking track in the former Lorne Flora Reserve section of that park. Unfortunately this year the orchids along the Sea Acres boardwalk have suffered damage from browsing animals, most likely feral deer.
Christmas orchid is generally not propagated by the Landcare nursery.
