Winter seems to have returned outside the greenhouse making the warmth inside especially welcome. A majestic species in flower this week is Oncidium maculatum.

Oncidium maculatum is native to Mexico and Central America where it grows in wet forests from 1000 to 2000m altitude. This habitat suggests it would be happy in either our Warm Americas or our Cool Americas sections and we have grown it in both although we have found that plants do best in Warm Americas where we keep plants wet and in relatively bright light which encourages the large pseudobulbs that flower well.

We grow the species successfully both in pots and in baskets.

The flowers are long lasting and large compared to most Oncidiums making this a really attractive species and one we have used in breeding to make the rather lovely hybrid below which is Oncidium maculatum crossed with Odontoglossum cristatum.

Oncidium maculatum x Odontoglossum cristatum

Odontoglossum cristatum