Coelogyne is a fairly large genus of more than 200 species primarily consisting of epiphytes with a few terrestrial and lithophyte exceptions. The wide distribution, from tropical lowland forests up to montane rain forests mean that temperature preferences vary from species to species. This is Coelogyne nitida, a medium size, intermediate to cool growing species registered by John Lindley in 1824. It has been […]
This small sized epiphyte hails from northern Peru and southeast Ecuador where it grows at altitudes of 1500 to 2000 meters. The name, Masdevallia lilacina, is supposed to reflect the lilac color of the flowers, and I must say that I was actually a smidge disappointed when mine turned out more cream and green than lilac…! Oh, don’t get me wrong. I love green […]
I have the pleasure of introducing an unexpected, but very welcome, Masdevallia guest – or shall we say free passenger. It came in the same pot as my Dracula barrowii, purchased from Orchids & More in 2009 but I did not discover it until now when it decided to bloom. I knew something was up as soon as it started to spike. Dracula […]
A small but very beautiful little Pleurothallis from the section Ancipitia. It hails from the wet forests of Costa Rica and Panama where it grows at altitudes from 800 to 1700 meters. It is a prolific bloomer, mine has been blooming for a few months already. The flowers are small and don’t quite open up all the way so the flower looks a little bit […]
This is a lovely little epiphyte is endemic to Costa Rica and it was registered as early as 1855. Lepanthes is a large genus with over 700 species that can be found across the Antilles and through Central- to South America. The lip is actually so highly specialized that it requires its own terminology to describe. An absolutely fascinating species that I am just beginning […]
This is a small hot to cool growing epiphyte found across Central- to South America. It grows in wet montane forests from sea level and up to about 1000 meters and it would probably prefer a little warmer temperatures than what I am providing, but alas, it is blooming so it is not complaining too much. The flowers never quite open all the way and can […]
Finally!! After countless blasted buds this beautiful, but finicky, Dracula is blooming for me and I am sooo excited! It has been trying to bloom for months now, but the buds have blasted one after one with about a week to go before opening. It has been both frustrating and heartbreaking, especially since I haven’t been able to put my finger on exactly exactly […]
A somewhat shy looking Masdevallia only found in Ecuador where it grows at altitudes of 1200 to 1500 meters. It is named after El Pangui, the capital city of the Zamora-Chinchipe Province in Southeastern Ecuador where it was first found by Luer and Andreetta in 1983. This is another lovely species from the impressive section Durae in Masdevallia, a section known for its large […]
This is such an ethereal and elegant little Masdevallia. At first the flowers might seem a bit bland and colorless, but when you really look at them up close you see that the they are cast in an almost metallic sheen. The incredible subtle purple details inside the flowers are further accentuated by the plain outside wrapper. Quite stunning really.
Masdevallia norae originates from South America where it grows at […]
For the past few weeks I have been working on a few long awaited upgrades for the cool vivarium. Well, long awaited for me, I am not a very patient person… Now they are finally all done and I am very pleased with the results. So here is an updated photo of the viv today along with an account of all […]
