This species is one of our most reliable Christmas and New Year orchids. Many of the uni-foliate Cattleya species look superficially similar but we find that one of the clearest distinctions is flowering time. C. percivaliana is also identifiable by the single sheath, the short (15cm) flattened pseudobulbs, and by the rather deep and circular markings on the lip rather than the distinct colour zones present in most species such as Cattleya trianae which is our February cattleya (shown below)

Cattleya percivaliana is endemic to Venezuela where it is found as an epiphyte and on rocks from 1400-2000m altitude in good light. We grow the species in Warm Americas and hang plants in baskets above the door.