Anoectochilus roxburghii ‘Gold Bar’

Origin and horticultural background of Anoectochilus roxburghii ‘Gold Bar’

The ‘Gold Bar’ name is used in horticulture for strongly gold-veined Anoectochilus roxburghii plants and for Gold Bar hybrids. Parentage varies among plants sold under the name, and the breeder and exact origin of the plant sold under this name are currently unknown.

Anoectochilus roxburghii is native across a broad part of Asia. In Thailand, it occurs around 1,100–1,600 m on sandstone under upland evergreen woodland and bamboo stands.

Growing Anoectochilus roxburghii ‘Gold Bar’

• Light for colour and leaf health: Keep the plant in low to moderate filtered light to support steady leaf colour and growth.
• Feeding and salts: While the plant is growing strongly, use a complete fertiliser at low strength. If you feed regularly, give the mix an occasional thorough watering with plain water to flush excess salts.
• Slower growth: When growth slows, keep the mix consistently moist and feed less until new roots or leaves appear.
• Water: Keep the mix consistently damp. When the upper layer feels just damp, water thoroughly and let the excess drain away.
• Potting mix: Use an organic potting mix that stays moist but lets excess water drain away. Keep the mix loose, and use a shallow container that gives the creeping stems room to spread.
• Temperature and flowering: Choose a warm indoor spot with fairly stable temperatures. If a flower spike develops, keep the mix evenly moist and continue light feeding while fresh growth is active.
• Humidity: It does well in humid air, particularly in enclosed displays, with gentle airflow around the stem and leaves.
• Propagation: A rooted piece of stem can be separated for propagation. Place the section on fresh, lightly moist mix until new roots and shoots develop.
• Repotting: Replace the mix once it breaks down or drainage slows. Let spreading stems lie on fresh mix so they can root wherever they touch.

Troubleshooting Anoectochilus roxburghii ‘Gold Bar’

• The dark leaf colour fades or develops tan areas: Check the light, recent drying and how much the plant has been fed. Strong light, drought and salt build-up can all affect the leaves. Adjust light, watering or feeding according to what changed recently.
• Powder, black specks, silver marks or waxy insects show on fresh growth: Inspect for thrips, mites, mealybugs and scale. For a confirmed pest, use an indoor-plant treatment labelled for that pest. Follow the label for dose and repeat treatment.
• Spots enlarge, turn grey or leave small holes: Fungal and bacterial leaf diseases can cause these patterns. Take off leaves with extensive damage, water the mix, keep the foliage dry and improve airflow.
• Wilt accompanies a dark mark at the base: A fungal problem around the roots or stem base can cause these symptoms. Check for discoloured roots or spreading stem damage. Only treat after identifying the fungal disease. Choose an indoor ornamental fungicide labelled for it. Follow the label for dose and repeat treatment.
• The lower stem turns wet and translucent: Bacterial soft rot and severely damaged waterlogged roots can both cause rapid collapse. Isolate the plant, then use a sanitised blade to remove the soft tissue back to firm healthy growth. Discard the rot and re-root the healthy sections in fresh potting mix with good drainage.

Keep Anoectochilus roxburghii ‘Gold Bar’ away from children and pets

• Keep this plant away from children, cats and dogs.
• Its effects after chewing or swallowing are unclear, and plant material can still cause an upset stomach.
• Contact a veterinarian or medical professional if symptoms develop or do not settle.

About the name Anoectochilus roxburghii

Anoectochilus combines Greek anoiktos, meaning open, with cheilos, meaning lip, referring to the spreading form of the flower’s labellum. The epithet roxburghii honours the Scottish botanist William Roxburgh.

Carl Ludwig Blume established the genus Anoectochilus in 1825 in Bijdragen tot de Flora van Nederlandsch Indië, page 411.

Nathaniel Wallich first described it as Chrysobaphus roxburghii in 1826 in Tentamen Florae Napalensis, page 37. John Lindley later placed it in Anoectochilus as Anoectochilus roxburghii in 1839 in Illustrations of the Botany of the Himalayan Mountains, page 368.