A Little World

Do you love miniatures? Miniature orchids have a fan base of ardent followers who love to treasure hunt in the Tropical High Elevation House. And there are lots to find. You will find Masdevallia Maui Lollipop directly across from the entrance.

Tucked in the trees are some Dracula inaequalis with their bell-like flowers. Inside the bell is a tiny petal (the lip) that is hinged, like a clapper.

The tangerine flowers of Masdevallia Kimballiana are a terrific find in the back of the High Elevation House. Kimballiana flowers almost continuously throughout the year. And there are many more! Stop by this Mother's Day weekend.

Tiny Fireworks

Masdevallia herradurae flowering in the Fuqua Orchid Center

There are a few orchids that produce culinary fragrances --vanilla, lemon, chocolate, coconut, white cake icing, wintergreen, cilantro, to name a few--fragrances that I usually associate with the kitchen rather than the greenhouse. Masdevallia herradurae is the only orchid in our collection that produces a fragrance like cinnamon. Red Hots, to be precise.

When tiny Masdevallia herradurae appeared among a new shipment of plants last year I was instantly charmed by the handful of exquisite flowers that were visible. At the time I didn't bother to investigate the fragrance.

Matt Richards then installed our Masdevallia herradurae plants on a Sassafras branch in the Tropical High Elevation House. Since then I have patiently watched as they produced their first tentative roots, a new flush of leaves and finally, buds. I have been eagerly anticipating their first flowering.

At last the flowers are open.  Each tiny plant has produced between 50 and 75 flowers. The branch has hundreds of tiny flowers. Masdevallia herradurae is a magnificent bloomer.

What was totally unexpected about this burst of tiny fireworks was the strong fragrance of cinnamon. No other Masdevallia in our collection is strongly fragrant of anything (at least to me), let alone something tasty. I have fallen in love with this orchid all over again.

Masdevallia herradurae is easy to grow. It grows over a fairly wide elevational range in Colombia and Ecuador: 500 to 2100 meters. I suspect it would adapt well to intermediate temperatures in a humid environment. If you're growing Masdevallias under lights you may want to give this terrific orchid a try.

Red & White: some holiday orchids

Masdevallia tovarensis

Two exceptionally floriferous orchids have been at their best during the holiday season: Masdevallia tovarensis and Dracula decussata.

Masdevallia tovarensis has always flowered well for us during the short days of winter. Each flower spike produces 2-4  snow white flowers. In the Tropical High Elevation House this time of year it receives 50º nights and 72º days with 80% shade and near 80% humidity. Our plants came from Kalapana Tropicals.

Masdevallia tovarensis is endemic to the coastal mountains of Venezuela where is grows at 1600 to 2400 m.

Dracula decussata

Dracula decussata doesn't produce the most dramatic flowers in the genus, but it can certainly create a tiny flower show all on it's own--with twenty or more flowers at a time. I love the whip-like red tails (sepals) that cross below the flower. Dracula decussata comes from the Choco region of Colombia and grows at 1200 meters in the western cordillera.

 You can see both of these wonderful orchids in flower now in the Tropical High Elevation House.

Masdevallia floribunda

Not every Masdevallia needs a cool greenhouse. This beauty shrugged off two exceptionally hot summers and rewarded us in early autumn with a microburst of flowers.

There are a  handful of Masdevallia species that are warm growers, i. e., they tolerate daytime temperatures pushing 80 degrees, Masdevallia floribunda being one of them. A hybrid with M. floribunda in its parentage can be expected to have some degree of warmth tolerance.

All right. Enough recitative. Want proof that Masdevallias are some of the most beautiful orchids on earth? Check out Gerritson & Parson's book, Masdevallias, Gems of the Orchid World.

This is a dangerous book. I'm not generally susceptible to plant lu$t (really), but I have to admit that Masdevallias get to me. And prolonged exposure to the photographs in this book makes me dizzy. Not that I want to buy all the species pictured. I just want to be around them all the time, like some sick groupie. Sell my house and move to Cuenca, Ecuador. Visit Ecuagenera every day. Okay, enough. Close the book.

If you are susceptible to this sort of thing you might be better off with Will Rhodehamel's Masdevallia Cultural Guide, which has no photographs, just the facts in plain jargon-free English. Confused about the exact meaning of "warm, intermediate and cool-growing"? Here it is. Want to know exactly how much light and humidity you need? Rhodehamel tells you. And look how plain the cover is. You can keep your house! A great guide.

Masdevallia Eye Candy

The Tropical High Elevation House is a playground of miniature orchids. A few, like this Masdevallia, are tucked into moss among the rocks. But most are on tree branches at eye level and higher. Lots of plants that grow at high elevations are quite small. Discovering an exquisite treasure like this can be a thrill for anyone who is willing to slow down and look carefully.

Many Masdevallias are teacup sized. Within this group of ~300 species and many hybrids is an astonishing variety of flower colors and shapes. They are a botanical candy shop.

 Most Masdevallias enjoy cool conditions, meaning a 52 degree night and 72 degree day. Some are fine with slightly warmer temperatures. They thrive in shady locations away from direct sun.  They like high humidity (80% R.H.) with air movement, a difficult combination that pretty much excludes your living room. Many people do well with them in small pots of sphagnum under lights in their basement, with a small oscillating fan supplying the air movement.

Autumn Colors

Early autumn brings a flush of flowers on Masdevallias in the Tropical High Elevation House