Bletilla striata grows in cool, lightly shaded places — the grassy hillsides of central Japan, the mountain flanks of China — and it carries that composed, unhurried character into the garden. The specific epithet striata refers to the fine ridges on the labellum, and it is a small detail that rewards a close look: the purple flowers, held on slender arching stems in spring and early summer, open in succession from the base upward, each one a perfectly constructed orchid bloom facing quietly downward.

What the flowers do not last long, the foliage more than compensates for. The broad, pleated leaves unfurl in spring with an architectural presence that holds through autumn, giving the plant a dual season of interest unusual for something in its size range — typically eight to eighteen inches tall. It prefers damp but well-drained, humus-rich soil with shelter from direct afternoon sun, and it will not tolerate waterlogged ground. A generous autumn mulch keeps it in the ground through mild winters; in climates north of zone 5, lifting the pseudobulbs for frost-free storage is the safer choice. Propagate by autumn division, and it will slowly form generous, graceful clumps.