Stelis hirtzii

Stelis hirtzii is a stunning miniature orchid. This pretty little species is native to the cloud forests of Northern Ecuador . The leaves are about 1cm long and so this mature plant could comfortably be covered by one hand. The flowers though are relatively large and very attractive when looked at closely, with an orange brown ground and bright red stripes on the lip and column.

We find that the species does well mounted or in a tiny pot. A real bonus is that the species flowers several times throughout the year. 

We grow the species in our Cloud Forest greenhouse (min 12C) where it seems fond of a shady spot and we grow the species wet all year. Friends succeed well with the species in a terrarium.