Arundina graminifolia (Bamboo Orchid)

Native to tropical and subtropical Asia, this clumping perennial orchid grows in the ground, with bamboo-like stems reaching about 8 feet tall. It is cultivated for white to pink flowers with a ruffled purple lip and yellow throat. It can flower throughout the year in warm, sunny conditions, although each bloom lasts about three days. New plants can be raised from divisions or plantlets that develop on older stems. Flowers of a highland variety are stir-fried as a vegetable in East Malaysia. It is considered vulnerable in Singapore and has become naturalized and invasive in Hawaii, United States, especially in open disturbed habitats. Photographed in Quindio, Colombia.