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Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?

A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.

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Tuesday - March 23, 2010

From: Milpitas, CA
Region: California
Topic: Non-Natives
Title: Non-native Vanda plants in the Philippines
Answered by: Barbara Medford

QUESTION:

My brother lives in the Philippines and he's asking for help regarding his Vanda Plants. His Vandas are outdoors, east side of house, gets morning sun only. He waters everyday because it dries up faster due to excess wind, Temp. is about 29 deg centigrade.The leaves wrinkle and turn yellow. He waters once a day when sky is overcast and twice a day when hot. What causes leaves to wrinkle and turn yellow.

ANSWER:

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center expertise and research is solely in plants native not only to North America but to the area in which that plant is being grown. The Vanda orchid is not only not native to North America, but neither is it native to the Philippines. In this website Gardening Australia: Vanda, you will learn that it is an orchid native to East Asia and Australia. Another website that might be of help is from rforchids.com Vandaceous orchids: Their care and culture.
 

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