Baptistonia verrucosissima

Native to: Argentina Brazil Paraguay

General Information

Baptistonia verrucosissima is a cool to warm growing orchid belonging to the sub family Epidendroideae native to Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay.

Plant Description

Grows to 25cm. Each new growth has numerous erect lance shaped, oblong shaped leaves that grow to 2.5-18cm long. Pseudobulbs grow to 0.5-9cm

Climate

The orchids are well adapted for hot weather, accompanied by sporadic, unpredictable rainfall and a generally dry climate. They can tolerate a lot of neglect as they are quite used to it, however they can be prone to underwatering and may collapse in cold, wet weather.

For this reason it's best to dedicate a sheltered, protected area for them where the watering can be controlled, such as a corner of a greenhouse or in a sheltered balcony. They can also do well hung near the roof of a shadehouse or sheltered greenhouse where they receive the extra heat but not as much water as other plants. 

Grows at low elevations. Rainfall ranges from 61mm to 201mm per day, heaviest in April and lightest in February. Humidity ranges from 62% to 78%, highest in December and lowest in June. Temperature ranges from 12C to 33C, highest in July (21C to 33C) and lowest in January (12C to 22C).

Watering

These orchids prefer a wet-dry cycle between waterings, they should be watered frequently but only when the moisture is approaching dryness, where the pot feels light and/or the media looks dry. Keep an eye on mounted orchids in warm weather as they may dehydrate quickly.