Plant Care Crippled Cranefly

Crippled Cranefly

About Crippled Cranefly

Cranefly orchid is a perennial woodland orchid native to the southeastern USA. In July-Sept, a 1-2 foot tall flower stalk emerges from the corm with a spike of irregularly shaped purplish-brown to copper blooms.

Taxonomy

Tipularia discolor
Tipularia
Orchidaceae
Asparagales

Also known as

crippled cranefly and crane-fly orchid

How to care for Crippled Cranefly

💦 Water

How often to water your Crippled Cranefly

Water needs for Crippled Cranefly
0.5 cups
every 9

Crippled Cranefly needs 0.5 cups of water every 9 when it doesn’t get direct sunlight and is potted in a 5" pot.

Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.

Calculate water needs of Crippled Cranefly

Water 0.5 cups every
9

Does your plant get direct sunlight?

Select the pot size

5"
☀️ Light

Finding light for Crippled Cranefly in your home

Light needs and placement for plant Crippled Cranefly: 3ft from a window
3ft or less from
a window

Crippled Cranefly may have difficulty thriving, and will drop leaves 🍃, without ample sunlight.

Place it less than 3 feet from a south-facing window to maximize the potential for growth.

Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement of Crippled Cranefly in your home 🏡.

🪴 Nutrients

How to fertilize Crippled Cranefly

Nutrient, fertilizer, and repotting needs for Crippled Cranefly: repot after 2X growth

Most potting soils come with ample nutrients which plants use to produce new growth.

By the time your plant has depleted the nutrients in its soil it’s likely grown enough to need a larger pot anyway.

To replenish this plant's nutrients, repot your Crippled Cranefly after it doubles in size or once a year—whichever comes first.

💡 FAQs
⭐ Difficulty Level

Crippled Cranefly is generally easy to care for, though some plant parents report facing challenges with growing it. Check out the reviews down below to read more about their experiences!


💦 Water Needs

Crippled Cranefly prefers for the soil to dry out between waterings and should be watered regularly. Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.


☀️ Sunlight Needs

Crippled Cranefly may have difficulty thriving and will drop leaves 🍃 without ample sunlight. Place it less than 3 feet from a window to maximize the potential for growth. Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement in your home 🏡.


🐶 🐈 👶 Toxicity

Crippled Cranefly is not known to cause harm to humans or pets. Regardless, if you, a family member, a cat, or dog has ingested any plant material, please consult a doctor or a veterinarian.


🪴 Soil

Crippled Cranefly does best in well-draining soil. A good soil will contain lots of organic matter such as coco coir as well as perlite or vermiculite to help with drainage. Adding a handful of perlite to regular store-bought potting soil should do the trick!


💩 Fertilizer

Crippled Cranefly should be repotted after it doubles in size or once a year, whichever comes first. Fresh potting soil has all the nutrients your plant needs, so as long as it’s refreshed yearly, you shouldn’t need to use fertilizer. Remember, plants get their energy from sunlight, not fertilizer!


⬆️ ⬇️ Growth Pattern

Crippled Cranefly grows vertically and new growth will emerge from the top of the plant.


🌦️ Growing Outdoors

USDA Hardiness Zone
Crippled Cranefly can be grown outdoors in USDA Hardiness Zones 6a-9b. Find your local hardiness zone here.


🌱 Propagation

Crippled Cranefly can be propagated by division into new individual plants.

  • Check to see if there is more than one plant. In some cases they may still be beneath the soil surface. If you feel confident, you may remove the soil to check for baby plantlets below!
  • If there are multiple plants growing, unpot the plant and gently tug the plants apart, being careful not to disturb too many of the roots. They may be connected by large root segments which you may need to break to free the plantlet.
  • Pot up the new plant in well-draining soil
  • Repot the parent plant back into its original pot

🍂 Yellow Leaves

Yellow leaves aren’t always a reason to panic, and can be a normal part of a plant’s life cycle. Unless brand new leaves are turning yellow or all the leaves change color at once, it’s likely just your plant shedding old leaves.

Overwatering and root rot are the most likely cause of problems in Crippled Cranefly, since they are sensitive to wet soil. The leaves may also appear to be curling or drooping. Less often, yellow leaves are caused by underwatering, nutrient deficiencies, or pests.

Replace soggy soil with fresh, dry soil and download Greg to make sure your plant never gets overwatered again!


🧐 Troubleshooting

When troubleshooting a sad-looking houseplant, start by checking for signs of distress in its leaves, such as yellowing, browning, or drooping, which can indicate overwatering or nutrient deficiencies.

Inspect the soil moisture; too dry or too wet soil can cause problems.

Ensure the plant is getting the right amount of light, as too much or too little can stress it.

Finally, consider environmental factors like temperature and humidity, and adjust care routines accordingly to revive your plant.


Care Summary for Crippled Cranefly

Crippled Cranefly

Crippled Cranefly


Greg recommends:

Water

0.5 cups every 9 days

Placement

< 3ft from a window

Nutrients

Repot after 2x growth

Based on the 4” pot your plant is in, and that it doesn’t get direct sunlight.

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