Epidendrum parkinsonianum

Epidendrum parkinsonianum is a species we are particularly fond of, since finding it in the volcanic mountains of Costa Rica.

The large white flowers are pollinated by large Hawk Moths and the flowers are fragrant at night.

In Costa Rica we found the species in the forests clothing the Poas volcano, where it grows at around 1200m altitude, hanging on the trunks and main branches of trees near rivers.  (see photo 3) The forest here is cool and wet, and the plants growth habit means that it grown in quite deep shade.

This habitat surprised us as we had previously assumed from the thick terete leaves that it needs a dry bright environment. Growing the plant into cool shady conditions in our Cloud Forests greenhouse (minimum 12C) seems to suit it very well.