Species Orchid, Cattleya

This is a gorgeous plant from the mountains of Rio de Janeiro, where it lives on rocks, or as epiphyte on trees, always exposed to abunda...Read Morent light, or even direct sun.

It has erect pseudobulbs with one leathery leaf pointing upwards. It produces 3-5 big, distinctive flowers. The petals and sepals are narrow, droopy, and colors vary from white to magenta. The lip is narrow, with white gut and a dark pink or purple margin. The fragrant flowers can be 10cm across.

It likes moderate temperatures, and can take low temperatures, but no snow nor hard frosts. It needs high moisture and humidity, and light. The medium can be either bark, fiber, or rocks with little soil. It doesn´t matter, as long as the roots are kept free.

A great plant with wonderful flowers that are available in many varieties, and is sometimes used to obtain narrow flowered hybrids. The plant I saw in the Botanical Garden had purple pseudobulbs and leaves, by far the most overall beautiful plant I saw that day.