Ascocentrum miniatum ‘Kai Gold’

This impressive little orchid practically lights up the whole room, despite its diminutive size. ‘Kai Gold’ is the clone name of my particular Ascocentrum miniatum and it definitely lives up to the name with its intense cluster of brilliant orange flowers and a bright orange spur.

Ascocentrum miniatum is, like the name implies, a miniature from the humid forests of Southeastern Asia where it grows at elevations of 0 to 1200 meters. It is a monopodial plant that maxes out at about 30 cm tall – in other words a really handy mini-vanda. Great for us with limited growing space. The thick fleshy v-shaped leaves tend to get red freckles when grown under bright light. This is a normal response and actually a pretty good thing. I usually strive to grow all my light loving vandaceous orchids like this, right on the edge of as much light they can handle.