Pleurothallis lindenii – 365 days of orchids – day 1789
Pleurothallis lindenii is a majestic species that produces masses of the subtle striped flowers in mid-winter. This dramatic orchid was one of the first pleurothallis species to arrive in our collection in the early 1990s (as Pleurothallis secunda.) The species is a medium to large pleurothallis with short pendulous flower stems that carry up to ten quite large (1.5cm) flowers.
As you can see, our largest plant is now over 1m across and has hundreds of flower spikes – a really special orchid.
The species is found from Venezuela to Peru on the trunks of trees in wet forest. The habitat provides the key to successful culture where plants are straight forward as long as they are kept moist and shaded. Too much sunlight results in the leaves turning pale and developing black blotches so mounted plants, especially, are grown low down at school.
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