We are surrounded by Masdevallias in flower this week. One of the most arresting is Masdevallis davisii.

This small growing but large flowered masdevallia species is endemic to Peru where it grows as a terrestrial or lithophyte in open patches amongst cloud forest from 2600 to 4000m. As a result it is one of our cooler growing masdevallias and we find a little tricky since it resents warm summer temperatures.

We find the species does best in a basket where we can keep it really well watered without getting soggy.

There is nothing quite as summery as the golden fowers of this Barzilian orchid species.

This orchid has real impact with hundreds of bright yellow flowers on long stems.Oncidium flexuosum gives clouds of yellow flowers from March right through until the late autumn. In a good year we get 12 months of flowers.

This Brazillian species has recently been transferred from Oncidium to Gomesa along with many of the Brazillian oncidiums. It is native the the Mata Atlantica forests running along the Atlantic Coast of Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay and Argentina. It is found from as an epiphyte from coastal marshes up to 1200m and adapted to the seasonal dry period by growing a mass of roots. We grow the species mounted as it has something of a climbing habit with each pseudobulb growing above the previous one. It regularly attaches itself to walls, supports, shading, other plants pots etc but we always forgive its naughty behaviour and admire the flowers.

We have had this species in our collection since the start and it is one we would never be without. It grows warm or cool. The species has been used extensively in breeding hybrid Oncidiums, and passes on its free flowering habit.

We have seen similar species in Brazil where the mass of yellow oncidium flowers in the canopy can be seen hundreds of metres away, across a valley.

This large growing wonderful orchid is wonderfully perfumaed as well as dramatic with its white flowers and yellow spots..

Comparing this plant with the normal coloured form (below) that flowered with us in April you can see that all the pink pigment is missing although the pattern of spotting is very similar.

This grand orchid is native to lowland forest in Java and and becomes a giant orchid over time. The plant produces stiff alternate leaves 30cm long and our alba form is still a small plant at 90cm tall while our normally coloured clone is over 2m tall. We grow plants warm (min 17C) with regular watering throughout the year.

Sometimes this plant is listed as a the species Vanda suavis, separate from the other form of Vanda tricolor (also found in Java) which has fewer, rounder flowers, but we will follow theplantlist.org in our labelling.

The mesmerising blue flowers of Vanda coerulea are with us again.

This dramatic species flowers several times throughout the year but is usually at is best in summer and autumn.

Our plant is nearly 4m tall and has several spikes of flowers coming or out. We used to cope with the plant’s height by hanging it in a doorway (flowering in 2018 below) and as you can see it flowers from the top as well as from its many side shoots – but now it is too big and we are going to have to split it up (wew will show you how when the time comes.

Unfortunately the attractiveness of the species has caused it to become very rare in the wild and it is designated as CITES appendix 1 to help protect surviving populations. It is widely grown from seed although nurseries tend to focus on large round flowered clones (like ours) for propagation rather than embracing the natural diversity within the species.

The plant is native to deciduous monsoon forest from 800 to 1700m which means it prefers cooler temperatures than most large growing lowland Vandas although selective breeding has tended to focus on plants that tolerate warmer conditions to suit commercial orchid production. We grow our plants in Warm Asia where they do very well and eventually produce side growths that produce flowers at the same time as the lead growth.

This wonderful miniature flowered species is in flower again today.

Stelis benzingii is a medium sized members of the genus with 12cm leaves and long spikes with densely packed 6mm triangular flowers on what is definitely one of our more floriferous Stelis species.

The species is endemic to Ecuador where it grows in warm lowland forests although we have found that the species does equally well in either our Warm Americas or Cool Americas sections. It does seem to be a shade lover and we have had leaves burn in April sun when not shaded.

In common with many stelis species the flowers of Stelis benzingii have tiny hairs. The hairs are white and confined to the edges of the sepals, giving the red flowers ‘snowy’ tips and a christmassy feel – very appropriate with December approaching.