All About Orchid Pseudobulbs and How to Care for Them

All About Orchid Pseudobulbs and How to Care for Them

Orchids are undeniably fascinating, from their unusual flowers to the strange swollen stems and roots. These swollen stems, which are found on many – but not all – species are known as pseudobulbs.

Understanding these pseudobulbs and how to maintain them is a key element in caring for these types of orchids.

We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission.

You could cultivate orchids successfully without knowing what pseudobulbs are, but understanding what purpose they serve and how to care for them will result in healthier, more robust plants.

If you’re new to these plants in general, you might want to read our beginner’s guide to growing orchids. Then, come back here, and we’ll dive in.

Coming up, we’re going to talk about what pseudobulbs are, what they do, the different types, and how to maintain them.

Here’s the lineup:

To start, let’s figure out what the heck these things are.

First of all, despite the “bulb” part of the name, these structures don’t grow underground. They are located above the soil and grow from rhizomes.

These aren’t true bulbs, as you might have guessed from the “pseudo” part of the name.

True bulbs are fleshy structures that grow underground and store all the components needed to complete the plant’s life cycle.

Pseudobulbs don’t do this. They only store water and nutrients, and don’t have the necessary elements like buds and shoots for growth, as we’ll discuss in a bit. They are actually modified, succulent stems that are larger than the typical orchid stem.

You can usually identify them by looking for a part of the stem that appears to be on steroids. It