There's a good reason why the Sharry Baby Oncidium (Oncidium Sharry Baby) is one of the world's most popular orchids. Although its multitude of beautiful flowers make it quite attractive, the most distinctive property of this orchid is the wonderful fragrance of vanilla and chocolate it emits.

You can have your home smelling like a cake shop when you have one or two Sharry Baby Oncidiums in your home, which is a trait that anyone with a sweet tooth will definitely fall in love with. This orchid produces flower clusters of dozens of flowers per spike, meaning that you'll have the sweet scent of chocolate and vanilla wafting around your house continuously. These orchids have been known to blossom more than one time a year and boasts stalks that can reach up to a 3' (meter) high if grown with proper care.

The shape of the flowers themselves is quite unusual but aesthetically pleasing. They look a lot like four-legged critters with a white head and an elongated abdomen when you look at them from the top. These relatively small blossoms look great in clusters.

The heavy flowering and unique vanilla-chocolate scent are some of the reasons why Sharry Baby Oncidiums are so popular around the world, but these are not the only reasons. They are also tolerant of a wide range of environmental factors, which makes them yet another ideal orchid for the beginner to start with at home.

Caring for the Sharry Baby Oncidium

One of the first considerations is its size. The plant can grow in excess of a meter high, so this Oncidium needs a pretty roomy space in your home.

Moisture, on the other hand, is not much of a problem. Because the Sharry Baby has pseudo-bulbs, you can get away with drenching the media once a week and letting it dry out completely before watering again. And you should remember to reduce water frequency during the winter months.

The Sharry Baby likes bright but indirect light, so it is best positioned back from the windowsill where there is still a lot of ambient light. This orchid thrives with the early morning sun, so keep it around the eastern windows of your home.

With these tips in mind, you'll have a nose-tickling chocolate and vanilla scent wafting through your home in no time at all.