This terrific orchid is looking fantastic this week. Brassavola tuberculata always flowers for the Malvern International Orchid Show that would have been this coming weekend.

In 2018 it won Best Trade Sopecies at the show, an RHS Cultural award, and won RHS Orchid of the Year 2018.

This terete leaved relative of Cattleya is native to Brazil where it grows in warm open forest in good light. It is relatively slow growing and we find it does best mounted where its long lived roots can grip tightly to the bark. We find it dislikes pots or baskets presumably because the roots cannot tolerate prolonged wet periods. Saying this we find that mounted it enjoys being watered daily and when we have with held watering at flowering time the flowers have not opened fully – so mounted but well watered seems to be its preference in our greenhouse.

The species is a classic moth pollinated orchid with flowers that are fragrant at night and the right pale colours to stand out in the dark forest.