Oerstedella centradenia

Oh this is sooo exciting! My very first flask baby to flower – and she did it in record time! This Oerstedella centradenia came from Roellke in Germany and it was flasked out in May of 2008. That makes a trip from flask to flower of no more than 1,5 years. Impressive!

Both of the original shoots are producing buds now, and there are two new shoots coming as well. The first flower just opened and it is a beauty! Edit: New photo with more open flowers. It is going to look quite impressive when the rest of the buds open up. Oerstedella centradenia, also synonymous with Epidendrum centradenia, can be found in Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama – and now in Gothenburg…  It likes wet warm conditions. So, I have been growing it mounted on EpiWeb in the warm vivarium hanging pretty close to the lights, spraying the roots daily and dipping weekly. Obviously the little lady thinks I got it right.

Oerstedella centradenia Oerstedella centradeniaI actually got it in a trade with a Norwegian friend of mine this spring and it has been growing like gang busters ever since. There are roots everywhere! Check out how much it has grown since I got it in April (it is the larger one of the two in the picture on the left) until now in November. It is hard to believe it is the same plant. The original EpiWeb pad is the moss-covered piece in the second picture, mounted onto 3 times larger piece – just to give you a sense of scale.

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