Species Orchid, Mangrove Orchid, Brassavola

This is called, among other names, Mangrove Orchid because it usualy grows as an epiphyte of mangrove trees, though it is found on other ...Read Moretrees, being fairly common in the coastal rain forests and "restingas".

This orchid has a short, cilindric pseudobulb, bearing a single and also cilindric leaf, with a furrow on one side. It grows better on trees, but does well on fern/coconut fiber.

The flower comes from the leaf´s furrow, usually one per pseudobulb. It´s white, or rather greenish sometimes, with a yellow spot in the middle of the labellum. It atracts nocturnal moths.

You can propagate it easily by cutting the rhyzome, but be sure to have at least 3 healthy pseudobulbs in both the old and new plants, or it will take years until it starts blooming again (or it could just die). Keep watering it regularly, never letting the soil to dry. When the winter aproaches (mid autumn), just stop the watering, let it dry. The hydric stress will force it to flower. At night, the flower has an absolutely delicious scent (I just found it out last night).

But stay alert. This isn´t a common commercially planted orchid, and most of those that you may find avaiable was token from the natural habitats. I got mine from a professor who propagates deranged orchids. Unless you can fully trust on the seller, don´t buy it.