Orchid of the Week

18th September 2025 - Bulbophyllum frostii

We have had this orchid in our collection since the 1990s and it is still lovely each year when its little clog like flowers open.

Bulbophyllum frostii is native to Vietnam and Southern China where it is recorded at around 1500m. We have explored similar habitat in nearby Laos where plants experience warm wet summer and dryer cooler winters. We grow the species high in our cloud forest greenhouse where conditions above our Masdevallias as bright and warm.

Plants are compact with neat bulbs and fleshy leaves and seem to enjoy growing mounted or in baskets where they can twine around. In pots they have a tendency to walk out of the pot and try to grow with their neighbour.

17th September 2025 - Masdevallia wuelfinghoffiana

We have another gorgeous Masdevallia for you today. The name may be a bit of a mouthful but this small growing Masdevallia is gorgeous.

Masdevallia wuelfinghoffiana had really colourful flowers and these are 3cm wide and 3cm tall if you ignore the thin tails that tend to fold backwards.

The leaves are 6cm long and so the 8cm flower stems hold the flowers clear of the leaves.

Masdevallia wuelfinghoffiana is endemic to Ecuador and first collected in 1997 at an altitude of 1800m (see original species description here) so at home in our cloud forest greenhouse (min 12C) although it would also grow a little warmer.

15th September 2025 - Masdevallia andreettana

Today we have a miniature Masdevallia. Masdevallia andreettana is endemic to South East Ecuadorwhere it grows in cool wet forest.

The plant had attractive dark green rounded leaves about 3cm long and large waxy white flowers with were a particularly swept back dorsal sepal.

The tiny petals have a striking dark red stripe and the lit has ends in an unusual wharty red spot. The flowers are held well clear of the leaves on a stout stem making for a very attractive plant.

As you can see we grow the species mounted and to provide the conditions it enjoys grow plants very low down in the greenhouse and spray with water every day.

The flowers are very long lasting too - a lovely species.

14th September 2025 - Andreettaea claviculata

Our second miniature is this delightful species endemic to Ecuador. Andreettaea claviculata is a tiny plant with leaves 1cm long but the flowers are comparitively very large and dramatic.

The species grows in wet forest at 2200-2400m and in cultivation enjoys a damp shady spot low down in our Cloud Forest greenhouse (min 12C). As you can see our stock plant is mounted but we would expect plants to also thrive in small pots or baskets.

The flowers are long lasting and tougher than they look. We are excited to see how it develops as it is very floriferous and a specimen plant will be a sight to behold.

This species was first described in the 1980's as Pleurothallis claviculata and spent time as Specklinia claviculata before molecular analysis moved it to its current home in Andreettaea

9th September 2025 - Brachypeza uniflora

It is miniature orchid week here at Isle of Portland Orchids and we have some real treats for you from amongst our flowering orchids.

The first is Brachypeza uniflora that we used to grow under the name Pteroceras uniflora. This tiny species is related to Phalaenopsis and lives in similarly enjoys warm lowland forests. It is reported as endemic to Vietnam though may well be present in Laos too. The lowland forests we have explored in Laos are very seasonal with quite a long dry season in the winter followed by a hot dry season before the summer rains arive. The thick roots and terete leaves of the species show how it copes with these conditions.

In cultivation we water plants throuout the year (it doesnt seem to need a dry rest to flower) and keep plants in our Ikea cases at a minimum of 18C. The species is well suited to mounting as it is tiny although the flowers are really large compared to the plant at about 1cm across. The flowers are long lasting and have a sweet peppery scent.

3rd September 2025 - Coelogyne fragrans

We have some stunning Coelogynes amongst our September flowering orchids and my personal favourite is Coelogyne fragrans.

Coelogyne fragrans is a elegant species, native to Papua New Guinea with large flowers produced over a long time. It is reported in montane forests from 100 to 2000m which suggests it can thrive in a wide range of temperatures but with us it definitely prefers it cool and we find that plants do best in our Himalayan greenhouse (min 7C). The species flowers from early Summer right through to Autumn.

Flower spikes emerge from the centre of new growths and each carry two to four flowers that open together giving a really dramatic display.

We have tried growing plants warmer but plants grow smaller thinner bulbs and have less flowers per stem.

We find that plants enjoy really heavy watering as the growths develop over the summer.

1st September 2025 - Platystele stenostachya

September has arrived and our greenhouses are full of flowering orchids despite this still being the height of the tropical growing season.

One star plant is our specimen sized Platystele stenostachya. I say specimen but as you can see the plant that has been on its mount for many years still fits comfortably in the palm of my hand.

The tiny flowers have a dramatic orange lip and are produced in profusion on short flower spikes. The spikes continue to produce flowers over a very long period and so this plant will be in full flower right through the winter.

Platystele stenostachya is found all the way from Mexico in the north to Peru in the South and has been reported from sea level up to 1700m. With such a range is not surprisingly that Platystele stenostachya is a variable species in terms of flower colour and shape. We also have a yellow lipped form. The species is almost always in flower and a really interesting addition to any collection.

We grow this species in mounted and in pots in our 'Cloud Forest Glasshouse' minimum 12C and water well all year (every day and sometimes twice a day)

28th August 2025 - Phalaenopsis corningiana

Phalaenopsis corningiana is native to Borneo and in common with most of the Bornean species produces waxy fragrant flowers sequentially on short flower stems. The flower colour is variable and we are delighted that this first flowering seedling has particularly dark petals to complement the lovelybright pink lip.

We have not seen this species in the wild but it is reported to grow from 450-610m altitude in warm forests both on cliffs and the trunks of large trees.

You can see from the photographs that the species is small for a phalaenopsis although the leaves will get larger as it matures.

We grow Phalaenopsis corningiana with the rest of our Phalaenopsis species collection in IKEA display cabinets in our living room with a minimum of 17C (although plants would happily grow warmer) and supplementary lighting. The plant here is in a 6cm pot of course bark and we water every two days with rainwater and weak feed. The species grows very close to the equator and so grows throughout the year.

21st August 2025 - Specklinia costaricensis

Continuing with our Specklinia week we also have Specklinia costaricensis in flower. Specklinia costaricensis has flowers similar to Specklinia gracillima but plants are smaller and much slower growing. Plants form a ball over time rather than the more spreading nature of Specklinia gracillima.

This charming miniature is native to the cloud forests of Costa Rica (as the name suggests) and Panama at altitudes up to 1800m. We find it thrives both on our bathroom windowsill or in a shaded spot in our cloud forest greenhoiuse (min 12C). The small windowsill plant has three spikes of the characteristic pure yellow flowers while plants can make fantastic specimens over time as shown by the greenhouse plant.

as you can see in photo 3. our windowsill miniatures are held in a carry tray which we find stops the plants falling over as well as providing perfect growing conditions with lots of little plants enjoying each others company (note Masdevallia paivaeana flowering next to Specklinia costaricensis) The window faces west and is shaded by a tree so is plants have light but not full sun. We water plants every couple of days with a pump sprayer.

In the greenhouse we grow the species mounted, in baskets and potted where it produces its sprays of small bright yellow flowers sporadically throughout the year.

Patience is needed as the plant is slow to make a specimen but the wait is wel worth it. We have plants of this lovely species available on our ETSY shop too.

We used to grow this species under the name Pleurothallis costaricensis.

20th August 2025 - Specklinia gracillima

We have several of our Specklinia species flowering this week so here is another.

Specklinia gracillima is a great example of a ‘miniature’ orchid that can quickly grow into a specimen. Plants flower well as tiny plants in 6cm pots or mounted but if left for long enough form a ball that is covered in its delicate sprays of flowers. Flowers of the species have a very distinct red lip. We have grown this plant in our collection for more than 30 years and for most of that time it has been known as Pleurothallis gracillima, however molecular studies (DNA) have separated a distinct group or pluerothallis species into a new genus Specklinia. These are all lovely miniature orchids with many flowers on a stem.

This species is native to the cloud forests of Colombia and Ecuador and so we grow the species in our cloud forest greenhouse (min 12C) with lots of water especially in the summer when it is in most active growth. Plants grow well in pots, baskets or mounted and though their main flowering is during the summer, plants can flower at any time of year.

We have plants of this lovely species available on our ETSY shop

19th August 2025 - Specklinia subpicta

Specklinia subpicta is one of our true miniature pleurothallis species with leaves just 4cm long, and it produces relatively large flowers on relaxed spikes.

The species is native to Brazillian cloud forest around 1000m, a habitat we have explored in our two expeditions to the coastal rainforest of Rio State. The climate here is moist even in the dryer winter season and minimum temperatures are around 10-12C.

We find that Specklinia subpicta is a strong growing little plant if kept damp and in some shade. The long lasting flowers have unusually long pinkish petals. Plants produce spikes over a long period. We grow this species in baskets and pots in our 'Cloud Forest Glasshouse' minimum 12C and water well all year (every day or every two days)

We used to grow this species as Pleurothallis sub-picta but have renamed it inline with molecular studies.

11th August 2025 - Aerangis luteo-alba var. rhodosticta

The stars of our warm orchid collection this week are our two clones of Aerangis luteo-alba var. rhodosticta.

This species is native to tropical Africa from Cameroon across to Kenya and Tanzania. It is pollinated by moths and so is fragrant at night as well creamy white to show up in the forest at night. The red column helps the moth to locate the entrance to the spur full of nectar (look just below the red column).

As you can see from the photos we have two very distinct clones - a small growing small round flowered clone (mounted on cork) and a larger growing, larger pointed flowered clone in a pot.

This is a lovely orchid to grow – it enjoys a warm and shady environment and we grow the species in our indoor Ikea cabinets with a minimum of 17C. It comes from riverine forest (the humid forest found along rivers) from 1200m altitude to 2200m altitude and so it would also grow happily a little cooler. Like Aerangis and related species we have seen in coastal forest near Durban (South Africa) this species is found on twigs and small branches with roots running long distances to collect available moisture.

The species is quick to flower from seed and we will be producing seed from sib crossed between these two lovely clones.

6th August 2025 - Masdevallia nivea

We have another Masdevallia flowering in the greenhouse this week with wonderfully large flowers and a compact habit - Masdevallia nivea.

Masdevallia nivea is native to Colombia and we will soon be anouncing our new partnership with Colombian conservation. This wonderful country has the richest orchid diversity of any country in the world and this beautiful masdevallia is found in North East Colombia in cool wet forest at around 2800m and we replicate these conditions by grwoing plants in our cloud forest greenhouse (min 12C) low down where it receives shade and protection from high temperatures.

As you can see this plant is mounted which is great for showing off the large flowers on this small plant (leaves are only 7cm long) but plants also do well in pots.

The name Nivea means 'the white Masdevallia' which is a bit misleading as the flower has a creamy yellow dorsal sepal, yellow tails and a cream blush to the base of the other petals - stunning. If you want a white masdevallia the M. tovorensis would be an obvious choice! (see below)

4th August 2025 - Masdevallia rufolutea

Our first orchid of August is this beautiful masdevallia that is currently tempting us to inhale its rather unpleasant fragrance.

Masdevallia rufolutea is endemic to Peru where it grows in cool wet forest at around 2700m altitude. The species makes quite a large plant with fleshy leaves and large flowers produced on short stems. The plant attracts carion fly pollinators with its unpleasent smell but you have to get close to smell it (unless you are a fly) so this is not a problem. We find that the plant is sensitive to high temperatures and can suffer blotches on the leaves from heat stress but benefits from good light that induces heavy flowering as we have on our plant today. In deep shade less flowers are produced and the leaves grow a darker green. The trick for avaoiding heat stress are to make sure that plants are well watered at the roods (we water the basket every day) and that there is plenty of air and not too much humidity so that plants can transpire effectively to keep cool.

Until recently we grew the species as Masdevallia picea but have changed its label in line with Plants of The World Online (https://powo.science.kew.org/)

Regulars will know that we keep our Cloud forest greenhouse at a minimum of 12C and shade in the summer with external shade net.

We have been asked how we are managing for rain water after our very dry spring and summer so far. Once we started to run low on stored rain water we have switched to a mix of 50% rain water and 50% tap water, it it stays dry we will be on 100% tap water. The thing to remember is that tap water is not toxic to orchids but if hard like Portland water we cannot add much plant food before it does become too high in dissolved salts for sensitive orchid roots. We will also get some limescale marks on our leaves but this will wash off once we are able to again use 100% rain water.

31st July 2025 - Phalaenopsis fimbriata

Phalaenopsis fimbriata is the most floriferous Phalaenopsis in our collection as it produces multiple flower spikes that flower repeadedly for a couple of years with all flowers opening at once.

This is one of our special plants as it is native to Sarawak (Borneo) where we will be returning in October to continue our work with the Sarawak Schools Orchid Project. (it is also found on the Islands of Java and Sumatra)

Phalaenopsis fimbriata is found growing on trees and limestone cliffs in moss at altitudes from 790-1300m - a habitat we have explored in Sarawak. Here the forest is evergreen and the forest can be very shaded which is why a limestone cliff is an attractive location with more light. The temperatures are lower than at sea level but as we are on the equator this is still a plant that enjoys warm conditions in our IKEA cabinet (min 17C).

The natural habitat experiences rainfall throughout the year and we find that this species enjoys a little more water than most Phalaenopsis.

22nd July 2025 - Prosthechea radiata

This wonderful orchid takes me back to the Mayan ruins of Guatemala and the photograph below shows a plant growing high in a tree amongst the Mayan pyramids of Tikal.

Prothechea radiata is found right through Central America and is easily recognised by the purple radial stripes on the lip that give the plant its name. The radial stripes along with the wonderful fragrance are to guide the pollinating butterflies to the nectar.

In Guatemala we found plants growing in semi shade in seasonally dry lowland forest but we find that plants are happy grown cool or warm and our plants love the roof of our cloud forests greenhouse where they are watered throughout the year especially in the late summer when in full growth.

8th June 2025 - Portland Bee Orchids (Ophrys apifera)

Bee orchid numbers this year are much lower than last year, probably due to the very dry March in 2024 followed by a dry April. March and April are when plants make up the tuber for the next year and if it isn't large enough it wont flower. This year has been ec=ven dryer in March and April so expect a poor year in 2026 for Bee Orchids.

There are however bee orchids around on the Island and this week is perfect for sharing some lovely photos.

Photos 1 and 2 show a large plant at the Chesil Nature reserve growing on a sand bank.

Photos 3 and 4 are a colony we have not found previously on a old quarried ledge on the cliffs just down from our nursery. The very short turf indicated the dry thin soil a few cm thick ontop of the limestone.

It has also been great to see a new colony at the back of a new housing development where quarry waste has been spread without topsoil giving a perfect environment for local wildflowers including orchids.

April 7th 2025 - Early Spider Orchid - Ophrys sphagodes

The second week in April is the always our time to make a pilgrimage to the Purbeck Coast in Dorset to find the Early spider Orchid

This wonderful species (that last week I likened to Gastrochilus retrocallus) is one of the UK's less common orchids but in its Dorset stronghold can easily bee found amongst the short turf near the coast path.

The plants are not large but when you get your eye in they are not hard to spot. For anyone wanting to find them for the first time the a walk along the coat path from Dancing Ledge (easily reached from the National Trust car park in Langton Matravers) towards Durlaston Head will guarantee lots of plants and they should be flowering for the next week or two.

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