In the late 1860s, horticulturalists with Messrs. James Veitch and Sons began hybridizing tropical plants especially orchids. For the next 40 years, the Veitch nursery produced hundreds of hybrid orchids, mostly firsts. Among those was the first Spathoglottis cross in 1897. Since then, about 90 Spathoglottis crosses have been recorded and named. The photographed specimen is probably Spathoglottis "Hawaiian Peach".

Like many orchids, the garden orchid has a pseudobulb, a thickened stem which stores photosynthates (food in the form of sugars and starches) and water. But unlike the thick succulent leaves of most orchids, Spathoglottis have grassy pleated leaves that resemble those of a seedling palm.

The inflorescence is racemose—a single unbranched stem with each flower perched on its own pedicel. The inflorescence arises from the pseudobulb in the axil of a leaf. The flowers, each lasting several days, open in succession from the bottom up. The inflorescence continues to bloom for many weeks in summer.

Spathoglottis are easily cultivated in pots or can be planted in the landscape where winters are mild.

(Compiled from: Orchids, Their Botany and Culture, Alex D. Hawkes, Harper and Row, Publishers, NY, 1961; "Spathoglottis", Hortus Third, Staff L.H. Bailey Hortorium, NY State College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University, Macmillan, NY, 1976; A History of the Orchid, Merle A. Reinikka, Timber Press, Portland, OR, 1995; and "Spathoglottis – inside and out", Eric Beltrame, The Orchid Review, RHS Publications, Ltd., Royal Horticultural Society, 2006)