Light and position
Bright, filtered light and steady warmth; avoid strong summer sun, cold draughts and radiator heat.
Read the full advicePOTTED FLOWER CARE
Moth orchid care: flowers, roots and watering
A moth orchid is a good choice when you want a living flower with a quieter silhouette. Start by choosing its position, then build a routine around the roots.
By Ma Petite Fleur · Updated 4 October 2026
Phalaenopsis flower; markings vary between cultivars.
Photo credit & licence
Photo: Remember. Public domain. Original photograph on Wikimedia Commons. Resized and converted to WebP; any card crop uses the same licence. Educational illustration; plants and cultivars vary.
THE SHORT VERSION
Your care at a glance
Watering
Check the bark and roots first. Water through the inner pot, drain it and empty the decorative cover.
Read the full adviceAfter flowering
Keep healthy leaves and firm roots. Green and completely brown flower stalks need different treatment.
Read the full adviceChoose its place
Give a moth orchid bright, filtered light and steady warmth. Keep it clear of strong summer sun, cold draughts and direct radiator heat. Its flowering season is not fixed to spring: retail plants can be in bloom at other times.
Water the roots, then let them drain
Check the bark and roots before watering. Use tepid water and let it pass through the pot; empty the decorative cover afterwards. Avoid letting water collect in the leaf crown. Feed lightly with orchid fertiliser during growth, following its label.
When the last flower falls
Keep healthy leaves and firm roots. A green flower stalk can be shortened above a healthy node; a completely brown stalk can be removed. Roots above the bark are normal. Repot when needed using airy orchid bark, not ordinary dense compost.
A useful weekly check
Look at the plant before reaching for the watering can. Is the inner pot still damp? Is the cover holding yesterday’s water? Has a curtain, radiator or furniture move changed its light? Make one correction and observe the plant rather than changing its position, pot and fertiliser together.
Before buying or giving an orchid
Choose a plant whose leaves and stems are undamaged, with a mix of flowers and buds. Check that the recipient has a suitable bright position and can remove the nursery pot for watering. Include the name Phalaenopsis with the gift; “orchid” covers plants with very different requirements.
Care reference
RHS: Moth orchid · Phalaenopsis ↗
Follow instructions supplied with your plant. This guide describes home care and does not represent current shop stock.
WATCH & LEARN
See the care in practice
English-language videos from the named publisher. Press play to load YouTube’s privacy-enhanced player; the written guide and direct video links also work without the player. Covers load from YouTube. Privacy details.
VIDEO · Royal Horticultural Society
Keeping Phalaenopsis orchids flowering
Tony Le-Britton demonstrates orchid care for the RHS. Follow the orchid-specific advice, rather than applying it to every flowering plant.
CONTINUE WITH POTTED FLOWERS