365 days of orchids – day 620 – Pleurothallis loranthophylla
Regulars to 365 days of orchids will know that we have a large collection of pleurothallis species many of which give a dramatic display of small flowers. Pleurothallis loranthophylla is one of the most rewarding and produces really pretty flowers in long pendulous spikes and a profusion of flowers.
Pleurothallis loranthophylla is native to wet forests from sea level right up to 2100m and is found from Costa Rica through to South America and as far south as Peru. It produces more roots than many of our Pleurothallis species making it more tolerant of heat and dry periods than many and one of the species that didn’t mind our hot spell early in the summer.
The flowers are produced from a dry sheath that forms in the axel of the new leaf but be patient as plants will sit ready to flower for months and then produce a mass of flower when conditions are just right which is usually from September to November. Individual flowers are about 1cm across and they contrast well with the bright green leaves.
We grow plants successfully in baskets, mounted and in pots – a fantastic species.
Join the Discussion
Hello, nice to meet you.
I also got Pleurothallis loranthophylla from Ecuagenera two years ago. This strain is well overgrown and large. Also, there are many brown and green sheaths. I’m expecting when the sheath will be broken and the flower stalks will come out. However, there is no sign of blooming at all. Are there any special conditions for flowering? As a cultivation environment, I plant in plastic pots with bark. The temperature is 13-22 ° C, always moist, and always exposed to the wind under moderate shading.
Hi – good to hear from you – Pleurothallis loranthophylla sits with sheaths for a long long time – and just when you have given up sends out its lovely flowers. With us it is a reliable Autumn flowerer but of course plants from Ecuador can take a little while to settle to northern hemisphere life. You conditions sound perfect so I am sure that you will be rewarded.
You may have seen that we are giving Zoom talks from the school with students giving tours of our greenhouses and labs + talking about our expeditions, and we would be very happy to talk to orchid growers in Japan.
Warm regards, Simon
Thank you for your reply. It’s been about two years since I bought it, so I understand that it would take a little more time for loranthophylla to get used to my growing environment.
It’s wonderful that information is exchanged using Zoom. If I have a chance, I would like you to join me.