Cyrtochilum leucopterum

Also known as: The White Pyramid in the subfamily: Epidendroideae

Native to: Cundinamarca - Colombia Departamento del Huila - Colombia

General Information

The White Pyramid is a sympodial cold to warm growing orchid belonging to the sub family Epidendroideae native to Colombia. The name refers to the white callus.

Plant Description

Sympodial. Grows to 92cm. Each new growth has numerous erect arching, lance shaped leaves that grow to 5.5-80cm long. Pseudobulbs grow to 5-12cm

Flowers

Numerous fragrant blossoms appear

Fragrance

The orchid is fragrant.

Fragrant:

• IsFragrant

Climate

These orchids thrive in humid, cool, shady conditions with good airflow, they will be found under dense forest canopies where they will receive moderate sun exposure throughout the year.

When cultivated they will thrive in a cool, sheltered environment such as a shaded greenhouse, or if grown in cooler climates they can be grown in the garden in areas where they are protected from frost and receive shade throughout the year, though they may be able to tolerate some morning sun during winter.

Grows at high elevations. Rainfall ranges from 51mm to 160mm per day, heaviest in October and lightest in July. Humidity ranges from 68% to 76%, highest in November and lowest in January. Temperature ranges from 6C to 17C, highest in February (8C to 17C) and lowest in January (6C to 15C).

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.

Fertiliser

These plants do well with slow release fertiliser at the rate of 2-3 pellets per cup (250ml) of media. Additional fertiliser during the growth period may be beneficial, but not necessary.