This is the first bloom for this lovely little African orchid. I bought it in September last year from Junginger Orchideen in Germany, and it must have come from very nice stock. On only one growth it produced six flower spikes, each carrying between 6 to 8 flowers measuring almost 3 cm across. It is quite a stunning display and I love the cream white flowers with the intensely vivid red centers. It is supposed to be fragrant, but I have yet to detect much of a scent, but I am really bad at remembering to stick my nose in the viv to check…
It is a miniature to small epiphyte that grows at elevations of 1250 to 2200 meters in humid riverine forests of Western Central and Eastern Tropical Africa to South Ethiopia. I grow mine mounted on bark in the intermediate vivarium under medium bright light and high humidity with good air circulation. I water this vivarium by hand, and I do that about 2-3 times per week in the winter, and every other to every day in the summer.
Aerangis luteoalba var. rhodosticta (Kraenzl.) J.Stewart, Kew Bull. 34: 310 (1979).
Beautiful!
Thanks Evan!
Amazing! I bought mine a year ago at the Pacific Orchid Expo in San Francisco. I repotted several times and finally mounted it on cork and it’s doing well. However, I think due to all the experimental transplanting during the year, it’s not happy and only has 1 spike with 6 flowers. I didn’t even know it could even bloom like yours! How exciting.
Thank you! At least you finally found the right way to grow yours since it is blooming. 🙂
This is a great orchid, and yours, Karma, is incredible to see! Thanks for sharing it with us! I had this orchid for awhile – it came to me Mounted, along with 3 other mounted Angraecum/Aerangis Orchids. The Ang. didieri dropped all of it’s leaves after blooming and I was left with a stem and no leaves! I have an Ang. leonis, which is also mounted and doing absolutely NOTHING! I have a very nice Ang. citrata, in double spike, but the spikes have been sitting there dormant for weeks (months>?) and I don’t know why or what do to with this orchid! My Aerangis luteoalba var. rhodosticta just sat there mounted and did nothing, no new leaves, no spikes, no nothing ……… I finally discarded the plant! Ugh!
Thanks Patrick! I am so sorry to hear about your Angraecoid troubles… wish I could help you there. I guess, just enjoy the photos. 🙂
Hi Karma – wonderful plant!
If it’s like most angraecoids, you’re best of trying to detect its smell in the evening – the few angraecoids I’ve managed to bloom only really smell in the evening/night (when their moth pollinators are out and about).
Thanks James! 🙂 I have tried smelling it at all times of the day, actually mostly at night since that is when all my other angraecoids are most fragrant… but still, for this one, nothing. Oh well, it is still wonderful!
It’s nice to see another nice plant from you. I have the same, but never thought or detected it’s fragrance at all? I have mine for 2yrs and it doesn’t fail producing these wonderful flowers, I keep mine very bright, direct sun for a few hrs a day in summer I let it dry out well between waterings. This year mine won best in show with only 2 spikes I wonder what would have happened if you’d have taken yours 🙂
Thank you! Congrats on the “best in show”! 🙂 …yes, wonder what they would have said about mine. Interesting to hear that yours is not fragrant either.
exceptional beauty..!
Thank you!! 🙂