Speklinia grobyi

Speckilinia grobyi is a species we have seen in the wild across South and Central America and it is a treat to have its sprays of beak like flowers in our Cloud Forest Greenhouse this week.

We have seen the species growing in wet mountain forest and cloud forest in Brazil, and in warm lowland forest in Belize showing that the species copes with a wide range of cultural conditions.

In Belize we found the species restricted to growing on dead logs on the forest floor - which in warm forest provides a very shaded and so cooler damper environment. In Brazil plants were mostly growing amongst moss in brighter spots but with year round access to moisture. (Brazillian plants shown below)

We grow the species mounted where it gets good light but shaded in the summer - you can see the filtered sunlight through the flowers on today's photograph.

We spray plants daily and twice daily in dry weather and feed is supplied in the water at 500 microsiemens. (Check out our article on growing cool orchids from the Americas for more information on culture)

As would be expected for a species with such a wide range Specklinia grobyi is a very variablke species in terms of flower colour and plant size and today's photo is of the clone we call grobyi 'tiny' with smaller than usual leaves and shorter flower spikes.