Can I start with a massive thank you to my staff team, students and our visitors for making Orchid Christmas (last night) such an enjoyable evening.

Amongst the many plants in flower for the event was the delicate Pleurothallis galeata.

Pleurothallis galeata is one of our most reliable winter flowering species that fills the greenhouse with cheer when it is cold and grey outside. Pleurothallis galeata is a medium sized plant that produces sprays of around twenty pretty little flowers from the base of every leaf. It has the advantage of flowering as a very small plant in a 3cm pot but making a majestic specimen over time (photo below)

The species grows at an altitude of around 2000-3000m in South American cloud forest and so we grow the plant in Cool Americas (Minimum 12C) The species seems to do well in pots or mounted and produces a lot of fine roots making it is an easy plant to grow. Our plant regularly produce keikis (young plants) on older leaves and so we are able to propagate the species easily.  We have also tried the species as a house plant in a centrally heated house and it does just as well. A must for any collection.

Here is a closeup of the pretty little flowers.