Cattleya Orchid Source: Caribbean

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Epidendrum umbelliferum

Common Name: Umbel-Flowered Epidendrum
Native to: Florida, Mexico, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, El Salvador, Columbia, Peru, Ecuador, Guyana, Brazil, and islands in the Caribbean. It grows on trees.
Plant Size: Miniature.
Flower Size: 0.5 inches (1 cm)
Flower Description: The flowers of Epidendrum umbelliferum are produced on a tightly packed, unbranched terminal inflorescence.
Bloom Season: Spring
Growing Temperature: Warm to Cool
Additional Information: Epidendrum umbelliferum is closely related to Epidendrum difforme but has enough unique characteristics to remain as a distinct species. Grow mounted on cork bark or tree fern and provide even moisture and fertilizer throughout the year.
Synonyms: Epidendrum chlorocorymbos, Epidendrum panegyricum, Epidendrum pseudodifforme, Epidendrum subumbellatum

Epidendrum umbellatum

Common Name: Umbrella Epidendrum Orchid
Native to: Central America and northern South America and some Caribbean islands. Epidendrum umbellatum is widespread and adapts to growing on trees in many environments and niches.
Plant Size: Medium. Epidendrum umbellatum has stems with several leaves.
Flower Size: 1 inch (2.5 cm)
Flower Description: The flowers of Epidendrum umbellatum are produced freely on a terminal inflorescence.
Bloom Season: Spring
Growing Temperature: Warm to Cool
Additional Information: Epidendrum umbellatum was first described to science in 1788 and is frequently confused with Epidendrum difforme. Grow mounted on cork or tree fern or driftwood. Provide water and fertilizer during the warm months and provide less water and nutrition during cooler months. This species is easy-to-grow.
Synonyms: Epidendrum panegyricum, Neolehmannia difformis

Epidendrum tridens

Common Name: Three-toothed Epidendrum
Native to: Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, the Leeward Islands, Windward Islands, Trinidad and Tobago, Peru, Venezuela, Ecuador, Surinam, French Guiana, Guyana. Epidendrum tridens is widespread and common. This species grows between 1500 and 2500 meters in elevation on trees.
Plant Size: Medium. Epidendrum tridens has reed-like stems with several leaves.
Flower Size: 2.75 to 3.5 inches (7-9 cm)
Flower Description: The white flowers of Epidendrum tridens are very similar to Epidendrum nocturnum and are fragrant at night.
Bloom Season: Spring
Growing Temperature: Warm to Cool
Additional Information: Grow Epidendrum tridens mounted on cork bark or tree fern or grow in a well-drained pot with coarse growing media. Like many widespread species, this one is adaptable to many different growing conditions. Easy to grow.
Synonyms: Amphiglottis nocturna var. latifolia, Epidendrum carpophorum, Epidendrum nocturnum var. latifolium, Epidendrum nocturnum var. tridens, Epidendrum nocturnum var. tumuc-humaciense, Epidendrum tridens var. briegeri, Epidendrum tumuc-humaciense, Epidendrum tunguraguae

Epidendrum rigidum

Common Name: Rigid Epidendrum
Native to: South Florida, Caribbean islands, Mexico to Venezuela to Peru. Epidendrum rigidum grows in wet forests on trees. This tropical species is found in semi-deciduous, evergreen, and mangrove forests. It is found from sea level to 1300 meters.
Plant Size: Medium. Epidendrum rigidum has reed-like stems with up to six leaves.
Flower Size: 0.5 inches (1.2 cm)
Flower Description: The flowers are produced at the tip of the mature stems.
Bloom Season: Spring and Fall
Growing Temperature: Cool to Warm
Additional Information: Epidendrum rigidum has been found growing in south Florida. Grow mounted on cork bark or tree fern plaques or grow in a well-drained pot or slatted basket.
Synonyms: Epidendrum cardiophorum, Epidendrum pium, Spathiger rigidus

Epidendrum repens

Common Name: Crawling Epidendrum
Native to: Mexico south to Panama, Columbia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, and Leeward Islands. Epidendrum repens is a widespread species that grows on trees.
Plant Size: Small. The sprawling stems are long and are covered with green leaves.
Flower Size: 0.75 inches (2 cm)
Flower Description: Flowers are produced singly on a short infloresence at the leaf axil. The plants bloom over a long period of time.
Bloom Season: Spring to Fall
Growing Temperature: Warm
Additional Information: This widespread species is somewhat variable and has a creeping habit. Grow mounted on in shallow pots and let the stems ramble over the edge.
Synonyms: Epidendrum bourgeaui, Epidendrum protractum, Epidendrum ramistratum, Epidendrum solisequum, Spathiger repens

Epidendrum polygonatum

Native to: Haiti, Dominican Republic, Cuba. Epidendrum polygonatum grows on trees.
Plant Size: Small to Medium. Epidendrum polygonatum has leafy reed-like stems. The stems have many dark green leaves that are arranged in a spiral pattern along the stem.
Flower Size: Small
Flower Description: Flowers are produced on terminal inflorescences and have one flower.
Bloom Season: Epidendrum polygonatum can bloom any time of the year.
Growing Temperature: Warm
Additional Information: Grow Epidendrum polygonatum mounted on cork bark or tree fern plaques. Provide warm, humid growing conditions and even water throughout the year.
Synonyms: Amphiglottis polygonata, Epidendrum polygonatum var. latifolium, Physinga polygonata

Epidendrum pallidiflorum

Common Name: Pale-flowered Epidendrum Orchid
Native to: Caribbean Islands. Epidendrum pallidiflorum is found growing on many of the Windward and Leeward island at elevations up to 1300 meters. It prefers to grow on trees in cloud forests or as a terrestrial plant.
Plant Size: Large. Epidendrum pallidiflorum has upright, leafy stems.
Flower Size: 1 inch (2.5 cm)
Flower Description: The flowers are produced on a terminal inflorescence that grows to 10 inches (25 cm).
Bloom Season: Spring to Summer
Growing Temperature: Cool
Additional Information: Grow in pots with good drainage and use a high-quality terrestrial orchid mix. Keep moist throughout the year. This plant was first described to science in 1830.
Synonyms: Amphiglottis pallidiflora

Encyclia kingsii

Encyclia kingsii

Common Name: King's Encyclia

Native to: Cayman Islands. Encyclia kingsii is found growing near sea level near the coast of Little Cayman island.

Plant Size: Medium. Encyclia kingsii has compact pseudobulbs that bear only one leaf.

Flower Size: 1 inch (2.5 cm)

Flower Description: The flowers of Encyclia kingsii are born on a branched inflorescence that stands well above the foliage (about 20 inches). There are only a few flowers produced per stem. Fragrant.

Bloom Season: Spring

Growing Temperature: Warm

Additional Information: This is a medium-sized species from the Caribbean region. Grow mounted on cork bark or in a slatted basket. Provide heat, humidity, and lots of light with air circulation to keep the foliage from burning. Uncommon.

Synonyms: Epidendrum kingsii

Encyclia altissima

Encyclia altissima

Common Name: Very Tall Encyclia

Native to: Encyclia altissima is native to some islands in the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands in the Caribbean Sea. These plants grow at very low elevation (less than 10 meters above sea level) and they receive very little rainfall. The daytime humidity can be as low as 5 percent. They are found growing on cacti and on the stems of small, bushy shrubs. Some grow on coral rocks.

Plant Size: Large. Encyclia altissima has tall, upright pseudobulbs that have two or three stiff, reddish leaves. The plants are large in size.

Flower Size: Small.

Flower Description: The small, fragrant flowers are produced on a very tall (up to 4 meters) unbranched inflorescence. One stem can have up to 200 flowers. The flowers of Encyclia altissima smell like a combination of honey and beeswax.
Bloom Season: Late Winter
Growing Temperature: Warm to Hot
Additional Information: This is a challenging species to grow because it is adapted to a very hot, dry environment unlike most other orchids. It should be watered very sparingly and only occasionally and probably could be treated like a cactus. Watch for fungus. Provide bright light, air circulation, and low humidity.

If you have successfully grown this species for a few years, let me know how you did it. E-mail you success story to the Webmaster.

Synonyms: Epidendrum altissimum; Epidendrum hodgeanum; Encyclia hodgeana