Many of our orchids are old friends and ee have had this lovely small growing species in our collection for 28 years. Each year it delivers these lovely clusters of pink flowers that last from January through to early April.

We feel that this is an orchid no one should be without. It is a strong growing little plant that flowers at the ends of short canes each spring and over time it becomes a beautiful mass of roots and stems. The species also flowers quickly from seed and the plants below is just eighteen months out flask and showing its first flowers and lots of buds.

The species is native to Central America where it grows from 1200-1500m in coolish evergreen or semi evergreen forest. We find that it is not fussy about temperature – it grows well in Cool Asia, Cool Americas, Warm Americas and Warm Asia but it does enjoy air to its roots (mounted or in very open bark compost) and plenty of water.

We have done more label changing with this plant that most. In 1993 our plant arrived as Epidendrum centropetalum but it changed to Oerstedella centropetala soon afterwards as Epidendrum was split. A further change to Oerstedella centradenia followed, but from recent molecular studies it has returned to Epidendrum, and is once again Epidendrum centropetala. The plants don’t seem to mind what we call them.