The flowers on todays orchid are surprisingly easy to miss until the buds unfurl dramatically at the base of this year’s pseudobulbs.

This wonderful species with crystalline flowers and smart dark leaves is a welcome sight on a wet autumn morning. This is a warm growing species from Central America found from Nicaragua to Panama and the nearby regions of Colombia that flowers repeatedly during the darkest months of the year.

The short lived but very attractive and fragrant flowers are produced from the base of newly matured bulbs and in common with most Trichopilia species the lip is very large compared to the other petals and sepals. When flowering well we have had more than ten flowers out at once which gives a great show.

We used to find the species challenging to grow, with black spotting on the leaves common,  but we are convinced that this was due to calcium deficiency and heat stress. We tackle these issues with added calcium in the watering and growing the plant shaded and damp at all times. The result is glossy dark green bulbs and leaves, and lovely flowers.