Pleurothallis is a wonderfully diverse genus of orchids from South and Central America and Pleurothallis gratiosa is unlike any others we grow with flowers that look to me like little sea creatures like little octopuses? The species is small growing with leaves up to 12 cm and the flowers held above the leaves on impossible […]

We love orchids that are named for their native region such as this beautiful small growing masdevallia species native to Guayana (though it is actually found in Venezuela, Guayana, Fr Guinea, Surinam and northern Brazil). I usually attach a little map with this species for those who are a little vague on the countries of […]

Xylobium variegatum is new to 365 days of orchids but a species we have had at school for more than twenty years. Plants produce fragrant flowers on short crowded spikes with appealing creamy spotted flowers with a deep red lip. Xylobium variegatum  is reported as a variable species found from Costa Rica right through South […]

Earlier this month I featrured the alba variety of Phalaenopsis violacea (below with the more a more common pink clone) and today we have the astonishing deep purply-blue Phalaenopsis violacea “coerulea’. The diversity within this species is extraordinary with all the plants being sweetly scented too. As I have said before Phalaenopsis violacea is native […]

This week the whole greenhouse has been filled with the scent of our giant Dendrochilum magnum. Today seemed like a good day to take a photo of it with some of our year 7 and year 8 students but as you can see most of them were rather lost behind the plant that is more […]