Stelis Polyantha

Stelis polyantha is an extraordinary orchid. ‘Polyantha’ means many flowered and this species lives up to its name with spikes of 100 to 200 of the cute little flowers.

The exquisite spikes of tiny pinky brown flowers really need a magnifying glass or macro lens to be appreciated and really demonstrate the beauty of small flowered orchids.

Stelis polyantha is endemic to Ecuador where it is found in cloud forest at around 3000m. Plants flower profusely even from small plants, and on a specimen plant the number of spikes produces that give a pinky ‘cloud’ around the plant when in flower. We grow the species mounted, in small pots, and in baskets, in our Cloud Forest Glasshouse and keep plants well watered all year. We find the species straight forward to grow and trouble free.