Masdevallia ayabacana was named after the Ayabaca Province in northwestern Peru. Its is a medium to large size epiphyte where it grows in the cloud forests at altitudes of 1200-1800 meters. I grow mine potted in EpiWeb substrate on the bottom of the cool vivarium, but it is quite tolerant to warmer temperatures as well. It boasts [...]
Dracula chimaera is a small sized cold grower from the cloud forests of Colombia. I have always admired this very large Dracula species and I have anxiously followed the development of the bud all summer. Today the flower has opened up and it is amazing!! It can carriy up to 6 single flowers in [...]
I have been looking forward to this one all summer, it is such a strikingly beautiful flower and the first time it blooms for me. I bought it last fall and I think I actually stalled it a little bit by repotting it, but now it is fianlly blooming and it is also coming [...]
This is a lovely little epiphyte hails from the Comoros and Madagascar where it grows in humid forests from sea level to 600 meters. I got mine from the German grower Karge a couple of years ago and have since been growing it mounted in the warm vivarium. I grow it fairly bright, [...]
This is a small epiphyte from Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador where it grows along streams at altitudes between 400 and 1100 meters. Since it grows on pretty low altitudes it is also more tolerant to warmer temperatures and do well in intermediate culture. The small flowers are perhaps not as showy as some [...]
Clamshell octopus, that sounds like something our of a B-horror flick… but the common name for this species is the cockleshell or clamshell orchid, although we tend to call it the octopus orchid (bläckfiskorkidé) here in Sweden. It is not hard to see why, either name fits the bill. The flowers are about 9 [...]
It’s bellina season again… It smells lovely in the warm vivarium right now, although I think my particular clone has a pretty weak scent for a bellina. Some say one flower can fill an entire houses with its fragrance, mine is definitely a bit more shy than that but I do not mind. This species likes [...]
A very nice little Stelis species from Costa Rica, my first. I have actually had this one since December but it really took off after moving in to the cool vivarium this spring. It just finished blooming on five inflorescences, each holding approximately 10-15 beautiful deep burgundy flowers measuring about 1 cm and lasting for over 2 [...]
This is another purchase from my big Peru Flora order this spring… I grow it potted in a plastic mesh pot with EpiWeb substrate in the lower half of the cool vivarium. It has been blooming all summer and is still going strong, usually with 2-3 flowers open at a time. Each inflorescence produces more [...]
I love orchid buds almost as much as I like the flowers. Most orchids have the most amazing buds and I particularly like the moment right before they are about to open up, it is a very sensual moment. Dracula buds are right up there among my favorites. The fused long narrow sepals and the swelling [...]