Masdevallia xanthina

Masdevallia xanthina is a small compact masdevallia that produces large flowers, on upright stems, just clear of its leaves. The name suggests that the flowers should be yellow but this is a variable species with flowers from white, pale yellow (like our clone here) bright yellow, orange and pink/red. All of the forms are really attractive and many have the dramatic dark blotches at the base of the lateral sepals shown clearly in our photo.

Masdevallia xanthina is native tocloud forests in Colombia and Ecuador from 1500 to 2800m and so enjoys life cool and damp throughout the year. We find that a lot of the cooler masdevallias do a lot of their growing during the  winter and spring and then sulk during the summer with its high temperatures. We keep plants happy by ensuring that they have plenty of water to the roots and heavy shade. We also move them to near the floor of the greenhouse where temperatures are often 5-10C cooler than in the apex of the roof. We grow plants mounted or in baskets and so daily or twice daily spraying is needed to keep the roots moist.