Our orchid project students were the stars earlier in the week working with Dr David Roberts from Kent University, but today it this South American orchid species that is the star.

Odontoglossum multistellare certainly lives up to its name and every summer produces branched spikes of attractive, star shaped, flowers, and a small plant produces a lot of flower for its size. Our largest plant shown above has 300 flowers this year.

Odontoglossum multistllare is a cool growing species found in cloud forests at around 2000m altitude from Ecuador to Peru, and we grow our odontogloissums in baskets hanging in cool Americas (min 12C). The target to achieve really good plants seems to be to grow health roots and then keep the roots alive for years – this allows plants to make large bulbs that reward us with long spikes of these graceful flowers. Heavily watered baskets and a very open bark compost seems seems best for good root development in our conditions.