Orchid of the Month
Vanilla Planifolia

Young Vanilla planifolia vine

Diagram of Monopodial Growth

To coincide with my Orchid Tip of the Month, I’ve decided to focus on one of the two types of growth patterns in orchids this month – Monopodial Orchids. Monopodial (Greek for “one base”) orchids have a single, vertical stem. They grow upwards, and new leaf growth appears at the top of the stem. The leaves alternate which side of the stem they grow from. These orchids usually have larger, thicker leaves and longer roots with thicker velamen which the orchid uses as water and nutrient storage structures. Monopodial orchids also use their stems for storage. There are nodes along the stem which are areas of undifferentiated cells. Think of them as stem cells for plants. These nodes can produce leaves, roots and bud spikes. Some orchids that have a monopodial growth style are Phalaenopsis, Neostylis, Angraecum,  Vanda, and Vanilla.