Cymbidium Orchid. Light is important for growing cymbidiums. Coming from cool and bright areas in Asia, they need high light but cool tem- peratures. In many southern climates, high summer temperatures, especially at night, may prevent the plants from blooming. The maximum amount of light possible, short of burning, should be given to the plants. This means only light shade during the middle of the day, or about 20 percent shade. In cool areas (such as coastal Cali- fornia), full sun is tolerated. Leaves should be a medium to golden green in color, not dark green.